To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed the entire object, paste this HTML in websiteTo link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or documentTo embed this page, paste this HTML in website

UNCP today : for alumni and friends of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke

UNCP today : for alumni and friends of the University of North Carolina at Pembroke

It was a wonderful graduation at UNC
Pembroke on May 10.
Watching students make the
transformation from undergraduates
to alumni reminded me of my graduation
from Pembroke many years ago. I remem-ber
how proud I was of being a graduate
from what was then called Pembroke
State University.
You could see it in the 2003
graduates’ eyes and handshakes that
they had that same feeling and were
proud to be graduates of The University
of North Carolina at Pembroke. This
pride is still alive and well today in all
the alumni I meet.
I challenge each of you to think back to
the day you graduated and remember that
great day in your life. Then call the Office
of Alumni Relations and plan to be part
of the next alumni function.
Find out when and where the
nearest local alumni chapter is
meeting and plan to be at its next
gathering. Just because you graduated
doesn’t mean that your time at the
university is over.
At UNCP, we are a
family, and we want
to see you and hear
from you.
Visit your UNC
Pembroke family
soon and get that
“just-graduated”
feeling again. I look
forward to seeing you there!
Upon arriving at The University of
North Carolina at Pembroke in 1999,
I was impressed and excited about the
wealth of opportunities found within our
campus “walls.” We are greeting one of
the most exciting opportunities of our
institutional life — the most ambitious
building campaign in 30 years.
We take great pride in our many
successes. We are rapidly establishing
ourselves as a major regional university.
We are the fastest-growing university in
North Carolina. We have outstanding
programs and professors, and we continue
to offer a personal touch in teaching and
learning. These established accomplish-ments
and successes will never change,
but the look of our campus will change
significantly to mirror our strong
infrastructure.
From UNCP’s Main Entrance to the
new Physical Plant, virtually no corner
will be left untouched as we transform
our property into one of the most attractive
and technologically advanced campuses in
America. Braves Drive will permanently
close and make way for a walking mall.
The Oxendine Science Building, the first
campus building most visitors see, will
boast a new exterior and will complement
a new Main Entrance that will greet you
soon. Walking areas on campus will be
enhanced with our new red, molded
concrete sidewalks. UNCP’s Water Feature
is a nice addition to our campus, and the
recently refurbished Lowry Bell Tower
on the Quad once again chimes our
Alma Mater.
The UNC Pembroke family does not
delight alone in our campus’ improve-ments.
UNCP’s economic impact on its
surrounding communities continues to
grow as enrollment increases and construc-tion
booms. The money we infuse into
our communities will surpass $100 million
in a few years.
Our most important priority is to build
stronger bonds with our alumni. I encour-age
all our alumni to visit us and once
again enjoy all our campus has to offer.
Coordinate a visit around our Distinguished
Speaker Series, attend a soccer game at
the new Belk
Athletic Complex
or attend a basket-ball
game in the
soon-to-be newly
renovated Main
Gym of Jones
Athletic Complex
(you will enjoy
the new seats and
the remodeled Braves Club room). If you
prefer the arts, come visit our campus and
see a Broadway production of “Cats,”
“Saturday Night Fever” or “In the Mood”
at GPAC. Better yet, begin planning now to
join us for Homecoming in February 2004
with the Four Tops.
The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke is your campus — anyone who
walked through our hallways, attended
classes or enjoyed an event here has a part
in who we are and what we will accom-plish.
Please come visit us soon and see
the difference you have made in the life
of this campus and our community.
Chancellor Allen C. Meadors, Ph.D., FACHE
Your campus is undergoing historic changes;
more reasons for our alumni to come home
Alumni Association President Hal Sargent ’96
Commencement 2003 was a trip down memory lane
UNCP Today Page 2
‘River Spirits’: New book from the
Native American Resource Center
by Sheri Sides
“River Spirits” is the first-ever
collection of Lumbee writings published
by the Native American Resource Center.
Forty-nine Lumbee authors contributed a
variety of work, both fact and fiction, that
overflows with the tribe’s proud past and
hopes for the future.
The book provides a window into the
Lumbee culture, said editor Stan Knick,
director of UNC Pembroke’s Native
American Resource Center.
“The collection of writings here is
not the result of a literary competition,
but instead an exploration of what is
meaningful, of what is valued, in Lumbee
culture,” he said, “because the meanings
and values of things are at the heart of all
human culture.”
Dr. Knick said he tried to be as
inclusive as possible in the selection
process.
“There was such a variety of
writing that was submitted, and I think
that reflects something about the
Lumbee culture,” he said.
The book includes the only known
poem by the late Lumbee historian Adolph
L. Dial, who co-wrote a history of the
Lumbee, “The Only Land I Know.”
Several poems by the late poet and
historian Lew Barton were also included.
“Although deceased, I knew they
were a part of the body of writing of
the Lumbee,” Dr. Knick said.
Works from a new generation of
Lumbee authors include Delano
Cummings, author of “Moon Dash
Warrior” and “River Dreams.”
This is the first book published
by the Native American Resource
Center to come complete with an
ISBN number.
“Hopefully other publications will
follow,” Dr. Knick said.
Dr. Knick has gotten a better view of
the Lumbee Tribe during his 17 years at
the university and is an honorary member
of the Lumbee Tribe.
“Nobody outside of a culture can
ever really get all the way inside,” he said.
“All you can do is get a better view, and
that is what this book is about.”
Each work in “River Spirits” is a
reflection of centuries of tradition
passed down through generations that
continues to shape the Lumbee identity.
Most of the funding for the book
came from private donors, especially
Anne Lowry Sistrunk, her husband,
Don C. Sistrunk, and her mother,
Mrs. Earl C. Lowry.
The 174-page collection is available
through the Native American Resource
Center by calling (910) 521-6282, or
e-mail nativemuseum@uncp.edu.
Journal No. 35 is Stephenson’s 25th
Sporting a red cover with gold
lettering, Pembroke Magazine No. 35
is now available to readers.
The international literary journal
features Robert Morgan, author of “Gap
Creek” and “This Rock.” It includes a
short story by Morgan, “The Church of
the Ascension,” and 10 essays on
Morgan’s work.
The 337-page volume also features a
memorial to the late poet Anna Wooten-
Hawkins, an interview with Poet Laureate
Billy Collins and a tribute to Fayetteville
newspaperman and historian Roy Parker
Jr., who was honored at the annual North
Carolina Writers Conference.
For English Professor Shelby
Stephenson, No. 35 is his 25th edition.
To celebrate, he took the summer off
from teaching for the first time in history.
Published annually, Pembroke
Magazine is available for $8 ($8.50 over-seas)
by writing P.O. Box 1510, Pembroke,
NC 28358, by calling (910) 521-6358 or
by e-mailing the managing editor at
tina.emanuel@uncp.edu.
Page 3 Summer 2003
CaCmampupuss NNoottees s
Burnette to lead University Relations
Dr. Glen G.
Burnette Jr. has
been appointed
to the post of
vice chancellor
for the Office
for University
and Community
Relations. Dr.
Burnette was formerly vice chancellor for
the Office of Advancement.
In his new post, he will be responsible
for the planning and organization of the
university’s internal relations and public
affairs programs, including media relations,
publications, community relations,
legislative and government affairs, crisis
communications and the public relations
program.
Dr. Burnette has been employed as
director of Alumni Relations for 10 years
and most recently served as vice chancellor
for Advancement for four years.
He received his undergraduate
degree and his master’s of arts degree
in education from UNCP. He holds his
doctor of education degree in higher
education administration from North
Carolina State University.
“Dr. Burnette’s long leadership
tenure is a testament to his abilities as an
administrator and public servant,” said
Chancellor Meadors. “His leadership skills,
along with his knowledge, dedication and
commitment to both the university and our
service region, make him the right choice
for this important position.”
“I will dedicate myself to empower-ing
our constituents and promoting
ownership in the university within our
region,” Dr. Burnette said. “I am looking
forward to continuing my work with the
chancellor, faculty, staff, students and
community to maintain and advance the
university’s position of excellence in
higher education.”
Baker named dean of School of Education
Dr. Warren
Baker has been
named dean of
the School of
Education.
He is a 1975
UNCP graduate
and served as
interim dean of
the School of Education for the past 10
months.
“Dr. Warren Baker has a long and suc-cessful
association with UNC Pembroke,”
said Dr. Roger Brown, provost and vice
chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Along
the way, Dr. Baker was director of
Admissions, director of Institutional
Research and Planning, a faculty member,
director of University-School Partnerships,
interim dean of education and now dean
of education.
“Rarely has any candidate had such a
broad record of involvement in critical
areas of the university,” Dr. Brown
added. “His knowledge of UNCP and of
the school communities in our region will
be invaluable to us as we continue our
exemplary record of teacher education
for the 21st century.”
Dr. Baker has been instrumental
in guiding the school through several
important achievements, including
National Council For Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE) reaccredita-tion,
an exemplary rating from the state
Department of Public Instruction and
growth of students seeking certification
by 78 percent (to 812) since 1999.
“We know from the value of
education today how crucial teacher
preparation is to the future of North
Carolina,” Dr. Baker said. “I am
confident that we will continue
to provide our state with the very
best classroom teachers and
administrators.”
Geller wins UNC’s
highest award
for teaching
The Board of Governors of the
16-campus University of North Carolina
selected UNC Pembroke Professor Jeffery
Geller to receive the ninth annual Award
for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Geller is widely acclaimed
for making philosophy a popular course
for successive generations of students
and by his colleagues for his academic
achievements.
He received a commemorative
bronze medallion and a $7,500 cash prize.
Dr. Geller is the keynote speaker for
Winter Commencement 2003.
“The Board of Governors’Award
for Excellence in Teaching has special
meaning to the faculty of UNCP because
we place such a high value on effective
teaching,” said Dr. Roger Brown,
UNCP’s provost and vice chancellor for
Academic Affairs. “Dr. Geller is a worthy
addition to the list of previous winners
who have established our reputation as
a university where student learning
comes first.”
Dr. Geller published an edited
collection of essays on American philoso-phy
this year, titled “Conversations with
Pragmatism” (Rodolpi Press; New York
and Amsterdam). He has published or
collaborated on numerous papers covering
a wide range of topics, including film
theory, political economy, biology,
psychology, African literature and
philosophy.
UNCP Today Page 4
U.S. Senator John Edwards issued grad-uates
one final assignment: “to confront the
bigotry and hatred we have yet to purge
from this country.”
The first-term senator, who launched
a bid for the presidency in January, said
civility and passivity are allies of hatred
and racial bigotry, and that “silence implies
consent.”
“We turn our backs daily from small
battlegrounds,” he said. “You — and we —
have an obligation to stand against the
forces of intolerance that deny opportunity
to others. You — and we — have an obliga-tion
to confront hatred and state clearly that
it will no longer be tolerated.”
Sen. Edwards was keynote speaker May
10 for Commencement ceremonies that saw
384 graduate, 61 with master’s degrees. It
was the largest Spring Commencement in
the history of a rapidly growing university.
The North Carolina native said the years
following graduation should not be years of
“blind ambition,” but instead years of “blind
compassion.”
“How brightly you burn on this journey
will not depend on what you do for
yourselves,” he said. “It
will depend, I am cer-tain,
on what you do for
others ... and on how you
permit others to be treat-ed
in your presence.
“Where there is
injustice, there is your
battleground,” he added.
“Where there is misery,
there is your battle-ground.
“I know you can,
because 116 years ago,
your forefathers, the
founding fathers of
The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke,
acted and made a differ-ence,”
he concluded.
In a press conference
before Commencement,
Sen. Edwards said he is “very encouraged”
about his campaign for the presidency.
The Robbins, N.C., native, who is the
first member of his family to graduate from
college, sidestepped foreign policy questions
to focus on domestic issues — social and
economic.
“We have work to do in North Carolina,
particularly in some parts,” he said about
southeastern North Carolina. “The first thing
we have to do is rebuild the economy of this
country. We must energize the economy.”
Sen. Edwards also
proposed a “College for
Everyone” program to
ensure that every young
American can attend
college.
On a sweltering
Saturday morning with a
standing-room-only crowd
in the Main Gym of the
Jones Athletic Complex,
Chancellor Meadors bid
farewell to a class that
enrolled at UNCP the same
year he arrived on campus.
“We share a special bond, as many of
you began your journeys here at The
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
four years ago when I became chancellor of
this fine institution,” he said. “During the past
four years, UNC Pembroke has become the
fastest-growing university in North Carolina,
and each of you are fully prepared for your
futures as UNCP graduates.
“I challenge each of you to claim your
dreams and goals as your own,” he added.
UNC President Molly Broad offered
praise for enrollment growth and high-quality
instruction at UNCP, but added
a cautionary note.
“This is a university on the rise with
an outstanding faculty and a growing commit-ment
to the region,” President Broad said. “In
the face of remarkable growth, we face unre-lenting
rounds of budget cuts that now place
the birthright of every North Carolinian in
jeopardy. That birthright is to obtain a high-quality,
affordable education.”
President Broad called upon legislators
and the people of North Carolina to find the
courage to make the right choices for the
future of the state.
Dr. Ruth Dial Woods of Pembroke
brought greetings from the Board of
Governors, Henry Lewis from the trustees,
Dr. Thomas Dooling from the faculty, Hal
Sargent II from alumni and Koji Sado from
the student government.
Sen. John Edwards addresses grads
Record number graduate at Spring Commencement
Sen. Edwards and UNC President Broad
Sen. Edwards meets the press
Page 5 Summer 2003
UNCP’s
‘Weightless
Lumbees’
take it to
the limit
with NASA
Boldly they flew outside the bounds
of Earth. Like Icarus, they paid a price for
defying the laws of gravity.
“They said not to eat a lot, and I just
ate some Cheetos,” said Mary Beth Brayboy.
“It was an amazing feeling, but I think I got
too excited.”
Brayboy and a team of four other Weight-less
Lumbees flew aboard NASA’s KC135A
at Johnson Space Center in Houston. They
performed several scientific experiments on
the diffusion of fluids in zero gravity.
Some time into the 40 parabolas that
produced 20-second periods of weightless-ness,
Brayboy and most of the team found out
why they call the KC135A the “vomit comet.”
“The flight engineer said they had
never seen anybody the color of a green
flight suit before,” said team adviser and
Chemistry Professor Tim Ritter. “It’s a
remarkable opportunity for undergraduates
because it is the only place on Earth where
you can experiment in zero gravity.”
For others, it was the theme park ride
they will never forget and an experience
of a lifetime.
“You can’t describe it,” said Joseph
Oxendine. “You just leave the ground.
I brought a football and played with it.”
“I turned flips,” said April Oxendine.
“I just pulled my knees to my chest and
the flight engineer spun me.”
For the university and the community,
sending five students to work with NASA has
many rewards.
“Only a few hundred earthlings have
had the experience that our students got,”
Dr. Ritter said. “They performed real
science, and they are sharing it with
the community.”
The UNCP students, from Scotland,
Hoke and Robeson counties, shared their
NASA experiments by giving lectures at
several local schools and worked a NASA
booth at the recent Festival of Flight.
More than 300 colleges and universities
applied for 72 spots in the program. Harvard,
MIT and California Institute of Technology
were represented.
“It was great,” said April Oxendine. “We
had the time of our lives.
“We have not analyzed all the data yet,
but from visuals it did not look like there
was any difference in the rate of diffusions.
It was constant.”
The Weightless Lumbees underwent
training at high-altitude conditions. They
worked hard in the lab, and they met
students from all over the nation also
participating in NASA’s Reduced Gravity
Undergraduate Research Program.
Participating for UNCP were April and
Joe Oxendine, Toni Chagolla, Mary Beth
Brayboy and Ginger Moody.
For chemistry major Joseph Oxendine, the
experience was so compelling that he changed
career plans.
“It was the best time of my life,” he said.
“I want to fly jets and eventually join the
space program.
“My future has never been clearer to me,”
he added.
Mary Beth Brayboy brought it home to Pembroke
Elementary students.
April Oxendine found time for work and play aboard NASA’s KC135A.
UNCP Today Page 6
Kelvin Sampson was genuinely
pleased to be home in Pembroke.
“I never thought I would be a
distinguished speaker,” he told an
audience of more than 500 this spring
at the Givens Performing Arts Center.
“I never thought I would be distinguished.
I’m honored.”
Sampson, a 1978 UNCP graduate
and head basketball coach at Oklahoma
University, was the final speaker in the
2002-2003 Distinguished Speaker Series.
“I take representing Pembroke
and UNCP very seriously,” he said.
Appearing very comfortable
on his home court, Sampson mixed
stories of his family and growing
up in Pembroke with the lessons he
has learned in 26 years as a head coach.
And he offered inspiration.
“As you grow older, you go from
having heroes to having people who
inspire you,” the 46-year-old coach said.
“I challenge everyone in this room to
find someone to inspire you and find
a way to inspire someone else.”
Sampson and his teams have been
accused of being overachievers after
building one of the top programs in the
nation without the benefit of waves of
blue-chip players.
“I don’t like the word ‘overachieve.’
Don’t ever tell me my teams overachieve,”
he said. “If you’re successful, you’ve
lived up to your ability level.
“We don’t want to have great teams,”
he added. “We want to have a great
program.”
Sampson’s team has won three straight
Big 12 Conference tournament champi-onships
and is invited to the NCAA
tournament every year. But he said he
has learned more lessons from losing
than from winning.
At his first head coaching stop at
Montana Tech, his first two teams
went 5-22 and 4-23.
“Jud Heathcote called me up to
congratulate me for taking Montana Tech
from obscurity to oblivion,” Sampson
said with a laugh. Heathcote was the
Michigan State coach who gave the young
college graduate from Pembroke his first
coaching job.
“The first step up the ladder of success
is failure,” he added. “It’s nothing to be
ashamed of.”
Sampson persevered at Montana,
and his next stop was in the PAC-10 at
Washington State.
“The toughest job in the PAC-10 is
Washington State,” he said. “Any team that
would hire a 24-year-old Native American
as its coach has to be in bad shape.”
Sampson’s first team went 1-17 in
PAC-10 play.
“We weren’t really that bad. We just
weren’t good enough to win,” he said.
“Of all the things that have happened to
me, that was the best.
“Mature people know how to handle
adversity,” he added. “People who can’t
handle adversity blame others.”
Sampson said he admires commitment,
unselfishness and teamwork in his players.
“Some kids have a hard time being
teammates,” he said. “A very good
player will get you 15 points and 10
rebounds a night. A great player will get
you 15 points, 10 rebounds and will be
your most popular player, the kind of
kid other players go to when they’re
down.
“Coaching is getting your kids
to understand teamwork, to be givers,”
he added. “I don’t like people who
were born on third base and think
they hit a triple. If your best player
is your hardest worker, it will be hard
not to succeed.
“Soft people want things handed to
them,” the coach said. “Successful people
compete, not just play hard.”
To the young people of the audience,
Sampson had this advice.
“Kids will tell you it’s tough for them,���
he said. “You can be anything you want,
but you can’t be afraid to fail.
“Ordinary people do extraordinary
things,” he added.
Kelvin Sampson:
‘Find a way to inspire someone’
Page 7 Summer 2003
The economic impact of UNCP
on its surrounding community will
surpass $100 million in just three years,
a university study shows.
Enrollment growth and construction
will fuel expansion of the university’s
economic footprint, said Chancellor
Meadors.
“We are a university under construction,”
he said. “We are also expecting a fourth
consecutive year of record-breaking
enrollment growth.”
The university’s largest construction pro-ject
in history — the $17 million renovation
and addition of laboratories to the Oxendine
Science Building — broke ground in May.
But this is just the beginning:
• Regional Center — $1.4 million project
broke ground in April
• Physical Plant Complex — $9.7 million
project began construction in May
• Jones Physical Education Center —
$9 million expansion and renovation
project began in June
Over the next five years, the university
expects to spend approximately $80 million
on construction of all kinds. North Carolina
Higher Education Bonds will pay for $57
million of these costs.
Construction at the university
will add jobs and infuse capital into
the surrounding communities, Chancellor
Meadors said.
“This is the biggest construction
boom in the university’s history,
and it will add significantly to
the prosperity of our community,”
he said. “The value added to our
communities from higher education
is immeasurable, but this study tracks
the measurable impact of a growing
university on its surrounding
community.”
Growth of enrollment at the
university is well-established and
gaining momentum. Since 1999,
enrollment has grown 48 percent.
The university’s budget is financed
on a per-pupil basis.
Enrollment growth means
employment growth, and university
employment has blossomed from
450 to 660 since 1999, Chancellor
Meadors said.
“Increasing job opportunities
has the greatest impact on our local
community, and it is what I am most
proud of,” he said. “Jobs support
families, and families support
communities.”
When will it end?
Chancellor Meadors predicts
enrollment to reach 6,000 by 2007.
By that time, the university’s economic
impact will be well in excess of $100
million.
“We have worked extremely hard
to establish UNC Pembroke as a branded
name in higher education,” the chancellor
said. “Our future success will only be
limited by how hard we continue to
work and our own imaginations.”
Enrollment gains, construction driving growth
University’s economic impact
to top $100 million in three years
$53
3062
3445
3833
4433
4800
5150
5550
5800
6000
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
$55
$62
$82
Economic Impact
(In millions)
Enrollment Projections
$88 $93
$99 $103 $105
$120
$100
$80
$60
$40
6000
5000
4000
3000
Chancellor Meadors and a legion of archi-tects,
engineers and contractors are sculpting
the new face of the university.
“We are,” the chancellor said, “a university
under construction.”
At times it seems more like a campus
under siege, as parking lots are temporarily
cordoned off, sidewalks replaced and streets
closed. It is the largest building program in
university history.
Even the underground is not safe as major
upgrades continue to water, irrigation, sewer,
electric power and fiber optic systems. There
is not enough room here to describe the tidal
wave of campus changes that are under
construction and in the planning stages.
Changing face
of a university
Buildings are just part of the plan
as historic building program begins
Oxendine Science — A new exterior, renovations and a new laboratory wing at a cost of
$17 million makes it the most expensive construction project in university history.
C o n s t r u c t i o n
T i m e l i n e *
*all dates are subject to change
Higher
Education
Bonds
passed by
N.C. voters,
with $57
million for
UNCP
State and
universities
plan
sales of
bonds and
create a
construction
management
system
Architects
are hired
and designs
drawn for
the largest
construction
project in
university
history
March
Ground
broken for
Regional
Center
$1.4
million
June-
September
University
Village
Apartments
complete
privately
funded
May
Ground
broken
for
Oxendine
Science
and
Physical Plant
$26.7
million
June
Work
begins
on
Track/
Soccer
complex
$800,000
August
Jones
addition,
renovations
begin
$9
million
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
“Focused
Growth”
designation
means
funding
for
campus
beautification
UNCP Today Page 8
Chancellor Meadors offered this solution:
“If our alumni and friends have not seen what
is going on here, they should come visit us.”
Here are highlights of major campus con-struction
under way or planned for the near
future:
• Braves Drive, part of the north/south
campus thoroughfare, will close forever
this summer between the University Center
and Jones Athletic Complex to make way
for a pedestrian mall.
• Oxendine Science Building — the first
building visitors see — will have an
attractive new exterior and undergo
$17 million in interior renovations,
including a new wing with laboratories.
• Jones Athletic Complex will also get
a new exterior, new classrooms, air
conditioning, offices and a complete
overhaul ($9 million).
• Anew Main Entrance is being designed
off Odom Road.
• The Bookstore will relocate from D.F.
Lowry to the more spacious Business
Services building.
• The University Center will get an annex
building for additional offices and meeting
space ($3 million).
• The new, privately funded University
Village Apartments will be constructed
on the former intramural fields.
• Alarge new Physical Plant and Business
Services complex will be constructed on
the far north side of campus.
• A499-seat stadium, with locker
rooms, concessions and storage, will
be constructed at the new Belk Track
and Soccer Complex.
• Anew classroom building is planned.
• Acluster of 12 classrooms, offices and labs
has been located just north of the Dial
Building to temporarily house the depart-ments
of Mathematics and Computer
Science, Biology and Chemistry, and Physics.
• Major overhauls are set for the Moore,
Locklear, D.F. Lowery, Business and
Student Health Services buildings.
• Old sidewalks are giving way to red,
molded concrete sidewalks.
• And a facelift for the Lowry Bell Tower. It
will chime UNCP’s Alma Mater once again.
“No corner of our campus will be left
untouched,” Chancellor Meadors said. “UNC
Pembroke is going to be one of the most
attractive campuses in the United States. Our
students and faculty deserve it. So do our
alumni and friends.”
Facilities Planning and Construction — In charge of campus construction are, from left, Steve
Martin, facility architect; Bess Tyner, director; Bobby Dean Locklear, project manager; Frank
Britt, facility engineering specialist; and Melissa Vance, administrative.
May
Physical
Plant
complete
August
Classroom
building
$6.7
million
University
Center
Annex
begins
$3 million
November
Main
Entrance
project
begins
$2 million
Locklear Hall
renovation
begins
$2 million
June
Business
Services
and
Bookstore
construction
begins
$2.6
million
September
Oxendine
Science
renovation,
addition
complete
December
Business
Administration
building
renovations
begin
$1
million
February
Moore Hall
renovations
begin
$2.5
million
June
Business
Services
and
Bookstore
complete
August
Classroom
building
and
University
Center
Annex
complete
October
Bookstore
renovations
complete
May
West
Hall
renovations
begin
$1
million
July
Main
Entrance
complete;
D.F. Lowry
renovations
begin
$2
million
August
Locklear
and West
renovations
complete
December
Business
Administration
renovations
complete
February
Moore Hall
renovations
complete
June
D.F. Lowry
renovations
complete
October
Jones
Athletic
complete 2005
2006
Page 9 Summer 2003
UNCP Today Page 10
Page 11 Summer 2003
UNCP Today Page 12
AdAvdavnancceemmeentnt
INDIVIDUALS
John I. Adams
Bob Andrews
Robert W. Antone
William E. Antone
James H. Ayars
Sandy L. Baker
Martha Baldwin
Elsmer Ray Barnes
Marion F. Bass
Martha H. Beach
Randall & Robin O. Beard
G. Thomas Blankenship
Barbara Braveboy-Locklear
Hampton C. Brayboy
Isaac T. Brayboy
Larry R. Brayboy
Mary E. Brayboy
Betty F. Bridger
David E. Brooks
Martin L. Brooks
Roger Brown
Cliff Bullard
Sybil Bullard
Glen G. Burnette
Cecil A. Butler
Katharine Butterworth
Patrick & Suellen Cabe
Dallas M. Campbell
Mary D. Caple
James Carroll
Robert Caton
James B. Chavis
Janet O. Chavis
Herman Chavis
James J. Cobb III
Michael Cohen
Jeff Collins
Cecil & Naomi Conley
Samuel L. Cox
Sammy Cox Sr.
Robin G. Cummings
Jose D’Arruda
Kent Dean
Harriet C. Dial Baker
Maureen Dial & Family
Katherine Dial
Alfredo Dipinto
Gerald Domenick
James Ebert
Charles R. Farrell
Chester Finn
Allene S. Gane
Melvin E. Gardner Jr.
Fred George
M. Carr Gibson
Grace L. Gibson
Patterson Gibson
Paul R. Givens
Allan R. Glenn
Owen L. Goldsmith
Gibson H. Gray
Christine Griffin
Milton Gene Hall
Bill Hall
Elaine B. Haraway
J. Ben Hardin
Elwood Hardin
Barry Harding
Neil Hawk
Eunice Henderson
Luther Wilson Herndon
Jean Hodges
Leonard Holmes
James F. Hubbard
Josephine Humphrey
Francis Pete Ivey
Charles R. Jenkins
Darrell D. Johnson
Alfred Jones
Diane O. Jones
Thomas A. Jones
Bonnie Kelley
Christopher T. Kirks
Daniel H. Laurent
Thomas M. Lewis
Henry Lewis
Carlton Lindsey
Joseph P. Riddle
Gregory Locklear
Cheryl Ransom Locklear
Delton Ray Locklear
Dennis Lowery
Welton Lowry
Burlin Lowry
Lycurous Lowry
Monroe F. Lowry
Magnolia Lowry
Josephine B. Lucente
David Malloy
Al Mangum
Bill Mason III
Malinda M. Maynor
C.W. Maynor
James C. Maynor
Annie R. Maynor
Jayne P. Maynor
Waltz Maynor
John L. McLean
Allen C. Meadors
Elizabeth L. Normandy
Faye N. Ostrom
Roger D. Oxendine
JoAnn Oxendine
Louis S. Oxendine
Joseph B. Oxendine
Brion Oxendine
Russell Oxendine
Riley Oxendine
Jesse E. Oxendine
Gervais Oxendine
James W. Oxendine
H. Dobbs Oxendine Jr.
William L. Oxendine Jr.
Lynda W. Parlett
Donna Payne
Raymond B. Pennington
Cheryl Pettyjohn
Gary N. Powers
R.W. Reising
John Reissner
John C. Rozier
Karen Gail Sampson
John W. Sampson
Joseph E. Sandlin
Lula Jane Smith
C.D. Spangler
Kenneth Strickland
Ronnie Sutton
Dick Taylor
James A. Thomas
Alan Thompson
Sharon F. Valentine
George R. Walter
W. Barry Watkins
Rudy D. Williams
Dexter Clark
Jeri P. Hyland
Thomas Edward O’Neal
John Walker Bullard
Robert Preston Swiney
David R. Trinidad
Noah Woods
Lacey E. Gane II
Cherry Beasley
W. Howard Dean
David F. Weinstein
Thomas Ross
Olivia Lowry
Shirley A. Richardson
Ann L. Sistrunk
Albert Scruggs III
BUSINESSES
Mary Ann Elliott, Arrowhead Space &
Telecom.
John Sill, Belk Hensdale Co.
Charles D. Locklear, CD Trucking
Charles Schawb & Co.
Marilyn F. Graham, Chrysler Corp. Fund
Tony Normand, COMTech
Joe Manis, Crestline Homes Inc.
Cumberland Co. Coliseum Complex
David Edge, Image Supply
Jim Miles, J & S Factory Showcase
Jerry L. Johnson, Jerry Johnson Chevrolet
Larry Sampson, Sampson Farms
Samuel R. Locklear Jr., Locklear & Son
Funeral Home
Grady Hunt, Locklear, Jacobs, Hunt &
Brooks
Lonnie Locklear Jr., Construction
Mike Dotson, Lowe’s Foods
Ronnie Hunt, LREMC
William F. Wright, Lumberton Ford-Lincoln
Lou Orban, Lumberton Rotary
Michael Locklear, M & R Elec. Security
Alarms
Jerry Hall, Mazda Foundation
Madison McElroy, Meritor
Tony Wooten, Meritor Automotive
Frank Rader, NC/USAWrestling
Russell Livermore III, Pates Supply
Lindsey Locklear, Pembroke Hardware
Sandra K. Locklear, Pembroke Optometric
Progress Energy
Roland T. Orr, Progressive Savings
Christopher Scott, Scott Buick-Cadillac
Charles E. Mullins, Scottish Food Systems
James H. Sheffield, Sheff’s Seafood
Fred Formichella, Sodexho
Charles A. Maynor, Southern Interiors
Lou Kirchen, Spartan Broadcasting
James White, Square D Foundation
Henry Lewis, St. Albans Masonic Lodge
Duke Energy Foundation
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Tara Group of Lumberton
Triangle Community Foundation Inc.
Triangle Bancorp
Harvey Godwin Jr., Two Hawk Employment
Wachovia Bank
Jim Thrash, WFAY-TV 62
Thomas Melhorn, Willamette Industries
Mitch Saeed, WKFT-TV 40
Robert F. Bleecker, Bleecker Olds-Buick
Dana Wilson, Butler Mfg.
N.C. Natural Gas
John P. Barker, Triangle Ice
Bank of America
John Beddow, Fleetwood Homes
Dorothy Blue, Pembroke BPW
Charles G. Cummings, CG’s Car Wash
Jerry L. Eagle, Jefferson-Pilot Foundation
Charles Broadwell, Fayetteville Observer
Patricia Locklear, LRDA
Kenneth P. Rust, Rust Enterprises
Bill Bird, N.C. Assoc. of Insurance Agents
Al Bounds, Buckeye Cellulose
Robert Caton, Eagle Distributing Co.
William McKee, Fleet Investment SVC
David H. Clinton, Hayes/Howell Assoc.
Sara Lee Foundation
Bill Shore, GlaxoSmithKline
St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity
J.T. Bullock, Robeson Correctional
Ray Shaw, Shaw Office Supply
West End Presbyterian Church
Kelvin D. Sampson, KDS Enterprises
Eric Collins, Time Warner
Ben Waters, Capitol Broadcasting Co.
Mike Cummings, Burnt Swamp Baptist
Association
Pilkington
Bellsouth Telecomm.
James Gore, BB&T
Tony Prevatte, Prevatte Home Sales,
Carolina Converting
Bruno Manno, The Annie E. Casey
Foundation
The Thomas Fordham Foundation
Darrell Marks, Phoenix Fashions
First One Bank
Bobbie Jacobs-Ghaffar, Native Angels
Home Health Agency
Craig Kennedy, University Courtyard
James Carroll, Adcar Inc.
Howard Brooks, Healthkeeperz
Carolina Women’s Center
Rational Software
Media General Inc., WBTW-TV13
Mortgage Quest Inc.
Irwin Belk, Belk Foundation
Wal-Mart Foundation
Robeson County Committee of 100
Josten’s Inc.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Carl W. Meares Jr., Carl Witten Meares
Foundation
Robesonian Golf Classic
Presser Foundation
Budgetext
Larry Brooks, Pembroke Elementary School
Charles R. Beasley, Lumberton Medical
Larry R. Chavis, Lumbee Guaranty Bank
The Chancellor’s Club
2003
A 1949 graduate and a member of the
Board of Trustees when he passed away
in 1997, James H. “Jim” Dial loved the
university.
Like many college graduates of his
generation, Dial returned from the war to
get a degree and find a career in teaching.
Dial and the post-war generation reinvig-orated
the university and their community.
Dial’s widow, Katherine B. Dial, has
memorialized his life with a gift of $50,000
to the university to dedicate a courtyard in
his name at the proposed new east entrance
to the university. The courtyard will be
located in the large island in front of Lumbee
Hall.
Mrs. Dial said the gift is a symbol of her
husband’s love of his university.
“I’m glad we could do this,” she said.
“If my husband were here to see it, he would
be proud.”
Dial was a lifetime Chancellor’s Club
member and one of the first to join the club.
Chancellor Allen C. Meadors thanked the
family for their support.
“The garden will be a focal point of the
university,” he said. “It will be one of the first
things people see when they drive onto campus
at the new entrance.
“This is a great gift honoring a great friend
of the university,” he added.
Mrs. Dial said she needed a guided tour
of campus because it has changed so much
since she graduated in 1946.
“I’m glad they left the front of Old Main
the same,” she said. “I had to have help to get
around campus today.”
During her visit to UNCP, Mrs. Dial
leafed through a 1946 Indianhead Yearbook
and paused for some fond memories. She
was the May Queen in 1946.
“We had some great times,” she said.
“I had very few classmates, but we had good
programs and plays.”
Jim and Katherine Dial have four children:
James H. Dial Jr. of Charlotte; Dennis Dial,
a military pilot stationed in Germany; and
Gina Dial and Colette D. Locklear, both
of Pembroke.
The Chancellor’s Club is the giving
society for major donors. With the help
of the club, the university is able to form
a solid educational foundation through bal-anced
programs of teaching, research and
service. By giving to UNCP, Chancellor’s
Club members are a vital part of the strong,
colorful fabric we collectively weave.
The Chancellor’s Club is an annual
giving club whose members contribute a
cash gift, a deferred gift or an ongoing
pledge of $1,000 per year. New graduates
may join at a reduced rate of $500. This
year, 26 new members were added,
bringing the membership to an all-time
high of 266.
There are a variety of ways to give,
including deferred gifts. Corporate matching
gifts are credited toward your pledge. All
gifts are tax-deductible to the extent of
current IRS regulations.
Chancellor’s Club members help the univer-sity
grow brighter and stronger. Their generosity
has woven commitment, encouragement and
hope into the fabric of the university’s
long and proud tradition.
Join today by making your check
payable to UNCP or the UNCP Foundation
Inc. and mailing it to the Office of Donor
Relations, P.O. Box 1510, Pembroke,
NC 28372 or call 1-800-949-8627
for details.
Page 13 Summer 2003
Chancellor’s
Club builds
support through
membership
Gift to honor former trustee Jim Dial ’49
Chancellor’s Club Advisory Board: seated, from left, James Ayars ’86, chair Gene Hall ’71,
past chair Barbara Meadors and Harvey Godwin ’91; standing, from left, Cherry Beasley,
Executive Director Teresa Oxendine ’97, James Ebert, Dick Taylor, Mary Alice Teets ’58 and
Jo Ann Oxendine ’78. Not pictured are Alfred Jones ’74, Rebecca Cummings and Henry Lewis ’73.
Chancellor Meadors and
Katherine B. Dial
Katherine Dial ’46 made a $50,000
contribution to the university in memory
of her late husband, James H. Dial ’49.
(See story, page 13)
Tim Brayboy ’64
was recently inducted
into the North Carolina
Athletic Association
Hall of Fame. A longtime
resident of Cary, N.C.,
he taught and coached
in the public schools. He
worked at the North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction from 1972 to 1995. He
was also an outstanding high school and
college game official. He officiated football
for 35 years and basketball for 30 seasons.
He is co-author of “Playing Before an
Overflow Crowd.”
Ronnie Chavis ’72 was coordinator
this summer for the Student Athlete
Summer Institute (SASI) camp at UNCP.
He is athletic director for the Public
Schools of Robeson County.
Rear Admiral Michael Holmes ’72,
a Robeson County native, has been
assigned as commander of the Patrol
and Reconnaissance Force Atlantic in
Norfolk, Va. He is commander of Fleet Air
Mediterranean Air Forces, Mediterranean
in Naples, Italy. Holmes grew up on a
farm near Lumberton in the Saddletree
community. He is one of only two or three
American Indian U.S. Navy admirals.
Holmes entered the Navy through the
Aviation Officer Candidate School and was
commissioned in December 1973. He
earned his pilot’s wings in November 1974.
Morris Bullock ’73 was promoted to
vice president of physician services and
business development at Southeastern
Regional Medical Center. He has been
with SRMC since 1987 as employment
manager, director of physician recruitment
and assistant vice president. He holds his
master’s of public health degree from
UNC-Chapel Hill.
Thomas Jernigan ’75 recently joined
Progressive State Bank’s loan department
and has been promoted to assistant vice
president. He has eight years of lending
experience. He lives with his wife,
Deborah, in Lumberton.
Ralph E. “Rick” Reeves Jr. ’75
has been named as a recipient of the
Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer
Outstanding Teacher Award. He was
also presented the Leo Schubert Memorial
Award, given by the Washington Section
of the American Chemical Society.
Bill “William McKee” Evans ’77,
award-winning historian, recently
hosted an evening of discussion on
“Documenting, Preserving and
Celebrating the 20th-Century History
of Robeson County.” He is an emeritus
professor of history at California
UNCP Today Page 14
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors
Executive Board
President
Frank “Hal” Sargent II ’96
1st Vice President
Jeffrey Alejandro ’95
2nd Vice President
Jason Bentzler ’96
Secretary/Treasurer
Sandra McCormick ’95
Immediate Past President
Dwight Pearson ’77
Board Members
Marcia Coble ’82
Jeanne Fedak ’82
Greg Frick ’00
Wendy Lowry Jones ’99
Floyd Locklear ’86
Dr. Earlena Lowry ’65
Executive Director
Lorna McNeill Ricotta ’01
Alumni Chapters
Fayetteville Chapter
Wendy L. Jones, president
Robeson Chapter
Floyd Locklear ’86, president
Scotland Chapter
Marcia Coble ’82, president
Triangle Chapter
Greg Frick ’00, president
CLASS NOTES and
CHAPTER NEWS
To submit class notes or chapter news:
Office of Alumni Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
Web: www.uncp.edu/alumni
Phone: 1-800-949-UNCP
(910) 521-6533 or
Fax: (910) 521-6185
E-mail: alumni@uncp.edu
1940s
1960s
1970s
continued on page 15
Blackwell ’68 joins Order of the Longleaf Pine
Breeden
Blackwell ’68 has
received the Order of
the Longleaf Pine, the
state’s highest civilian
honor. Blackwell is a
Cumberland County
commissioner. He received a framed
proclamation signed by Governor
Mike Easley.
His wife, Cathy, son Ryan, and other
relatives were present when he received the
order. “It is indeed an honor, and I’m very
humbled by this,” he said.
Blackwell is a retired school principal
with 30 years’ experience in the Cumberland
County school system. Blackwell has also
served on the Fayetteville City Council,
including three terms as mayor pro-tem,
from 1992 to 1997.
AlAulmumnnii NNoottees s
Page 15 Summer 2003
State Polytechnic University in Pomona,
Calif. He wrote “Ballots and Fence
Rails: Reconstruction on the Lower
Cape Fear” and “To Die Game: The
Story of the Lowry Band, Indian
Guerrillas of Reconstruction.”
Dr. Glen Burnette ’80 was
appointed vice chancellor of the Office
for University and Community Relations
at UNCP. This is a new position at UNCP.
(See article, page 3)
Peggy Cecil Owens ’80 is
employed with the Mid-Kentucky
Presbytery as associate general pres-byter
for education and missions.
Dr. Ruth Dial Woods ’80 was
invited to speak at the 2003
Transformative Justice Conference,
sponsored by the Birmingham Civil
Rights Institute with partnership to the
Birmingham International Festival.
She shared her experience in human
rights struggles during the civil rights
movement.
Mary Ann Prevatte ’84, a teacher
at Peterson Elementary School in Red
Springs, N.C., earned the Public Schools
of Robeson County Employee of the
Month award.
Dr. Glenn Harris ’85 recently
contributed $500 to Scotland County
Concerned Citizens for the Homeless.
The gift was given through Scotland
Health Care System after Dr. Harris
won the Physician of the Year award.
Tom J. Cluchey Jr. ’87, vice
president and business services officer,
earned BB&T’s 2002 Washington, D.C.,
Metro Region Business Services
Officer Sterling Performer award and
earned recognition as one of BB&T’s
2002 Best of the Best business
services officers.
David Jenson Cummings ’87,
a former SGA vice president and Tau
Kappa Epsilon fraternity member, is
a chemist in the federal Office of
Pharmaceutical Science/Quality
Implementation Staff in the
Washington, D.C., area. On May 9,
he received the Food and Drug
Administration’s Award of Merit for
exceptional performance in the priority
review for the first of a new class of
antimalarials. On April 23, he also
received a cash award for outstanding
performance, leadership and dedication
to the mission of the Division of
Counter-Terrorism.
Patricia Harris ’87 of St. Pauls,
N.C., is a bank secrecy act compliance
team leader with BB&T.
Thomas Eddison Maynor II ’88 is
deputy director of the Washoe Tribal
Health Center. The Washoe Tribe is
located in Nevada and California. He
married April Denise Maynor on June 27,
1992. The couple lives with their children,
Thomas III “Trey,” 7, Hunter Quinn, 5,
and Adam Payton, 2, in Gardnerville,
Nev.
Rodney Cannon ’89 is facilities
manager at the national office of the
American Diabetes Association.
Santana and Sharon Davis-
Montgomery ’90 announce the birth of
their son, Santiago David Montgomery,
on April 15 in Dallas, Texas.
Jason A. Jacobs ’90, a technical
information specialist/librarian at NASA’s
Langley Research Center in Hampton,
Va., recently received two Superior
Accomplishment awards for his work in
library outreach activities. Jason earned
his master’s of library science degree
from North Carolina Central University in
1994. His parents, Samuel and Vonnie
continued on page 16
The Willie Mayes Scholarship Challenge
An anonymous donor has
offered to match up to $1,000 in
contributions to honor the legacy of
all-American wrestler Willie Mayes,
who died tragically in 1988 on the
eve of his graduation. Mayes is
described by Coach P.J. Smith as
a rare individual for his incredible
work ethic and team spirit. This
spirit still lives at UNCP!
Coach Smith hopes that
classmates, friends and members
of Phi Beta Sigma will rise to the
challenge and enhance this
endowed scholarship that has
already helped numerous
wrestling scholar-athletes.
(910) 521-6261 or pj.smith@uncp.edu
Loving ’96 promoted
to captain in Air Force
Daniel
Loving ’96 is
a captain in the
United States
Air Force
stationed at
Vandenberg Air
Force Base in
Lompoe, Calif.
He is an
academic and
emergency war
order instructor of intercontinental
ballistic missiles.
Loving is married to the
former Leslie Oxendine of Midway,
N.C., and the couple has two sons,
Samuel and Phillip.
Loving
continued from page 14
1980s
1990s
UNCP Today Page 16
Jacobs, reside in the Saddletree community
of Lumberton.
Jennifer Brayboy Locklear ’90
received her Ed.D. degree in educational
leadership from UNC-Chapel Hill in May
2003. She married Eric H. Locklear ’90
and works as a principal in Person County
Schools.
Major Torrey Mitchell ’90 is chief of
inspections with the U.S. Army Inspector
General.
Whitney VanZandt Jones ’91 and
Barry Edward Jones ’90 announce the birth
of their second child, Blair Elizabeth Jones,
on Jan. 24.
David Malcolm ’92 has been appointed
new associate pastor at Camp Ground
United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, N.C.
David earned his master’s of divinity degree
at Perkins School of Theology at Southern
Methodist University. He is married to Beth
Malcolm ’92, and the couple has three
daughters and one son.
Sharon Mundy ’92 announces the birth
of her sons, Alex Brian and Joshua Taylor.
Angie Revels ’92 is marketing repre-sentative
for Healthkeeperz, a home health
agency in Pembroke. She recently made a
presentation to the Pembroke Business and
Professional Women’s Organization about
her company’s comprehensive plan of
pharmaceutical services, respiratory care
services, home medical equipment and
home health services.
Brian Edkins ’93 was named the North
Carolina High School Athletics Association’s
Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year. In June,
he was named athletic director of Southview
High School in Hope Mills, N.C.
Felicia M. Locklear ’93 is principal of
Brooks Elementary School. She recently
attended the National Paideia Teaching
Method Conference in Chapel Hill. She is
married to Anthony Locklear ’79.
2003-2004 Calendar
AUGUST
22 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Freshman Move-In/Pizza Party
22 5:30 p.m. 1st Annual Alumni Legacy Banquet
23 10 a.m. Alumni Board Meeting, 4th Floor, Lumbee Hall
SEPTEMBER
3 10 a.m. Convocation, GPAC
4-19 Alumni Travel to Australia and New Zealand
28-Oct.1 6 to 9 p.m. Annual Alumni Phonathon
OCTOBER
2-9 Alumni Travel to New England
4 Soccer Tailgate, 1 p.m. Women; 3:30 p.m. Men
UNCP versus North Florida
5-8 6 to 9 p.m. Annual Alumni Phonathon
7-8 Grad Finale I & II
NOVEMBER
4 Career Services Resume Critique and Workshop
5 10-11:30 a.m. Senior Brunch
5 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Career Services Interview Skills
6 Career Services Job Search
DECEMBER
4-6 Alumni Travel to “The Miracle of Christmas” in
Pennsylvania’s Amish Country
12 Alumni Holiday Drop-In at Chancellor’s Residence
13 10 a.m. Commencement
13-20 Seven-Day Western Caribbean Cruise
FEBRUARY
15-21 Homecoming 2004! www.uncp.edu/alumni/homecoming
For more information, visit
www.uncp.edu/alumni
e-mail alumni@uncp.edu
call 1-800-949-UNCP (8627)
or (910) 521-6533
Office of Alumni Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
continued from page 15
continued on page 17
Show your UNCP Pride!
Get your
UNCP
license tag
today.
Contact:
(910) 521-6533 * alumni@uncp.edu
Page 17 Summer 2003
Newy
‘Newdawg’
Scruggs ’93
was married to
Lainie Yglesia
Dec. 28, 2002,
on the beach in
the Bahamas.
(See story,
page 19)
S. Anthony Fields ’94 and Nancy
Strickland were married Feb. 1 on the cam-pus
of the Institute of American Indian Arts
in Santa Fe, N.M. He is employed with the
institute. Nancy was previously employed
with Metrolina Native American Association
and is enrolled in a museum studies pro-gram,
seeking a bachelor’s degree. The
couple resides in Santa Fe.
Clayton Alexander ’95 and Ashley
Baker were
married June 7
at Finch Chapel
on the campus
of Greensboro
College. She is
a graduate of
the University
of Central
Florida and
works for Merck. Clayton is assistant to the
president of Greensboro College. The cou-ple
honeymooned at the Sandals Grande
St. Lucian Resort in the West Indies.
Katina Dial Pittman ’95 received
her doctorate of dental surgery degree
with honors from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry
on May 18. She and her husband, W. Brian
Pittman, reside in Chapel Hill.
Marcus Collins ’96 (M.S. ’01) is pursu-ing
his doctoral degree in higher education
administration at N.C. State University.
He is employed at UNC-Chapel Hill as
assistant dean in the Office for Student
Academic Counseling. He was program
coordinator for Upward Bound at UNCP.
Ryan Hammonds ’96 and LisaAnne
Fedor ’03 were married June 7, 2003, in
Lumberton at St. Francis De Sales Catholic
Church. The couple resides in Morrisville, N.C.
Captain Reginald J. McClam ’97 was
commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps
as an officer. He has been in the Marine
Corps for the last six years, stationed in
California with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.
He served as a rifle platoon commander
and a mortar platoon commander during
that time. He is assigned as a tactics,
weapons and leadership instructor. At
UNCP, he ran track and was a member
of the Nu Lota Chapter of Phi Beta
Sigma Fraternity Inc.
Ron Sharpe ’98 enjoyed the success
of his guitar students at the Colorado
Suzuki Institute. More than 500 performers
were narrowed to a field of 31 in honors
recitals. Only five were guitarists, including
three of Ron’s students. Ron teaches more
than 24 students from ages 5 to 19 in the
Fayetteville, N.C., area.
Amanda B. “Mandi” Walters ’98
received her M.S. degree in molecular
genetics from the University of Florida. She
recently accepted the position of vice presi-dent
at Metropolitan Research Associates, a
clinical research organization, in Manhattan.
Christina Locklear Revels ’99 gradu-ated
in June with her B.S. degree from the
physician’s assistant program at the East
Carolina University’s School of Allied
Health Science. At the same time, she
received her master’s of health science
degree from Duke University. Christina is
the daughter of Carla Locklear, a UNCP
employee in the Office of Business Affairs.
Christina plans to practice in the area after
completing her license requirements.
Renee Josette Lewter ’99 teaches
English at Southwest High School in
Jacksonville, Fla. She plans to wed
Daniel Merion in March 2004.
Traci Powell ’99 and Greg Williams
’90 were married April 19 in Hope Mills,
N.C. The couple lives in Laurinburg, N.C.
Greg is a football coach and history
teacher at Richmond Senior High School,
and Traci begins teaching at Sycamore
Lane Middle School in the fall. Traci was an
admissions counselor at UNCP for three
years before accepting a teaching position.
continued from page 16
Scruggs wedding
Alexander wedding
Have you seen
these missing
alumni?
Abdalla, Marie Annette ’76
Able, Elizabeth Ann ’97
Abram, Barbara J. ’82
Abreu, Patricia Phelps ’90
Adams, Anne M. ’90
Adams, Deta C.
Adams, Grady B. ’71
Adams, Karen Fournier ’80
Anderson, Tonya ’96
Andreacchio, Paul ’84
Andrews, Barbara ’82
Andrews, Donald ’97
Andrews, Kristi ’94
Andrews, Sharon W.
Anelli, Lisa Jean ’91
Angel, Ollie M. ’74
Anlberg, Walter ’71
Anthony, Ivy
Anthony, Joseph
Anthony, Sherrie Connor ’90
Armstrong, Beverly A. ’90
Armstrong, Christopher D. ’92
Armstrong, Donna R. ’77
Arnette, Charlene ’74
Arno, Russell ’96
Arnold, Deborah ’74
Arnold, Maria ’95
Arp, Nancy ’78
Arroba, Melinda ’94
Ashford, John ’86
Ashley, Carolyn C. ’84
Ashley, Richard C.
Ashlock, Lisa J. ’87
Ashton, Teresa ’84
Atkins, Debby L. ’93
Atkinson, Marjorie P. ’73
CONTACT THE
MISSING ALUMNI
BUREAU
@
Office of Alumni
Relations
(910) 521-6533
alumni@uncp.edu continued on page 18
PHONATHON
September 28 - October 1
October 5-8
Alumni and student callers are
needed throughout the eight nights.
Office of Alumni Relations
(910) 521-6533
Natasha Jacobs ’00 graduated in
June with her B.S. degree from the
physician’s assistant program at East
Carolina University’s School of Allied
Health Science. At the same time, she
received her master’s of health science
degree from Duke University. She is
completing her clinical rotations and
plans to practice in the area.
Wendy Leigh Jernigan ’00 and
Daniel Franklin Fields were married at
Hyde Park Baptist Church on May 31.
She works for the Public Schools of
Robeson County. He works for Jerry
Johnson Chevrolet.
Randall Channing Jones ’00,
a student in
UNC Chapel
Hill’s marine
science pro-gram,
was the
recipient of
the J. Ernest
Wilkins Jr.
Award for Oral
Research
Competition
for Life
Sciences. He is the son of Diane Jones
’71, vice chancellor of Student Affairs,
and fiancé of Emily Love ’00, an
employee with UNCP’s University
Computing and Information Systems.
Jennifer McLean ’00 received her
master’s of arts degree in community
counseling from Appalachian State
University. She married Jeremy A.
McLean ’01 on Aug. 5, 2000. Jennifer
now works at UNCP in the Office of
Student Support Services as tutorial
coordinator.
Tamra Moore ’00 works with the
North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction as southeast regional
computer consultant.
Rikki Cockrell ’01 has been
named sports information director at
UNCP. She was a standout performer
on UNCP’s basketball and softball
teams.
Lorna McNeill ’01 and Dr.
Patrick Ricotta were married June 14
in Fayetteville, N.C. She is director
of Alumni Relations at UNCP. He is
a practicing physician and surgeon
at the Foot and Ankle Institute, with
offices in Lumberton and Laurinburg,
N.C. The couple will live in Fayetteville,
N.C.
Sherry Parnell ’01 and husband
Ivey Parnell announce the Oct. 11, 2002
birth of Abigail Grace. The family resides
in St. Pauls, N.C.
Raegen A. Cecil ’02 has joined
Smith Moore LLP as a health care law
librarian.
Shandora Lynn Locklear ’02 and
Kelly Dean Chavis ’98 were married
April 26 at the Saddletree Church of God.
She is employed by the Public Schools of
Robeson County. He works for Unilever,
HPC-NA.
Laura Smith ’02 of Murrells Inlet,
S.C., has been promoted to business
banker with BB&T.
Lisa Anne Fedor ’03 and Ryan
Hammonds ’96 were married June 7
in Lumberton, at St. Francis De Sales
Catholic Church. The couple resides in
Morrisville, N.C.
Katie Marsh ’03 was named
assistant women’s basketball coach
at the College of William and Mary.
Marsh begins her first season as a
collegiate coach after a stellar career
at UNCP, where she finished with 930
points and close to 400 assists while
setting single-season school records
in three-point field goal percentage
(40.2 percent) and free-throw percentage
(89.4 percent) while serving as team
captain. A native of Richmond, Va.,
Marsh was a member of Psi Chi and
graduated cum laude in May 2003.
Jessica Reed ’03 has accepted
a teaching position at Codington
Elementary Year Round School and
moved to Wilmington, N.C., in June.
Jessica Smith Rogers ’03 was
recently named director of education for
Sylvan Learning Center in Whiteville,
N.C.
Lock B. Locklear ’48 died April 11,
2003 at his home in Levittown, Pa. After
receiving his degree from Pembroke, he
received his master’s in education
degree from Temple University. He was
a retired public school teacher.
Dennis Dean Lowery ’64 died May
17, 2003. He served on UNCP’s Board of
Trustees and was awarded an honorary
doctorate in laws in 1995.
Kenneth C. Lennon ’78 died May
25, 2003 at Columbus County Hospital.
Bruce Alvin Proctor ’80 died at
St. Eugene Medical Center in South
Carolina.
Jason Wayne Hunt, a rising junior
at UNCP, died at Southeastern Regional
Medical Center. He was a member of the
Phi Sigma Nu fraternity.
UNCP Today Page 18
Alumni Travel Planning Calendar
Welcome alumni, friends and families. Join the UNCP Alumni Travel Program for an
exciting tour to the following destinations.
Current Travel
• Alaska • Hawaii
• Australian Wonders and the New Zealand Islands
• “Miracle of Christmas” and Amish Country Tour
• New England and Vermont in the Fall
• Atlanta Braves Baseball/Stone Mountain Laser Show
• Norwegian Majesty — New Tour!
For more information
(910) 521-6533
alumni@uncp.edu
www.uncp.edu/alumni
continued from page 17
In Memory
Channing & Emily
8
2000s
Page 19 Summer 2003
‘Newdawg’s’
broadcasting
career is
raising the roof
Newy Scruggs ’93 has been known as
“the Newdawg” since his Omega Psi Phi days
at UNCP.
Since anchoring the sports desk at WPSU-TV,
Newdawg’s star has been on the rise in
television, radio and newspaper.
His latest stop is the Dallas-Fort Worth
market, where he is weeknight sports anchor at
top-rated KXAS (NBC,
www.nbc5i.com).
Newdawg also
co-hosts “The Big
Show” on ESPN
103.3 FM weekdays.
(www.espn1033.com).
A one-man media
empire, you can read
his column in DFW Sports Weekly
(www.dfwsw.com).
The sportscasting career of the Newdawg
began in September 1992 in Florence, S.C.
While in his senior year at UNC Pembroke,
Newdawg was a Friday night high school
football photographer for WBTW-TV13 and
then became the weekend sports anchor.
In 1993, Scruggs went to work at KVUE-TV
in Austin, Texas, to cover the Dallas
Cowboys during their Super Bowl years.
In 1994, it was off to Cleveland’s WEWS-TV
as a weekend sports anchor. In 1997,
Newdawg launched his Sunday night sports
show on KCOP TV, where he was sports
director.
He was the 1998 and 1999 Associated
Press Best Sportscast Award winner and, at
KCOP, he won the Best Newscast Award.
During a recent campus visit, Scruggs
talked about the endowed scholarship in
sports broadcasting he has
established.
“It was great here,” he said
of the opportunities available
to him at UNCP. “It (the
scholarship) is about taking
pride in your school and
giving back.
“They started Action News
here my sophomore year, and
when they did basketball
games, I got to be part of the
three-man crew,” he added.
Scruggs described
internships in Wilmington
and Florence and meeting his
mentor, Tom Suiter, the dean
of sports broadcasting in the Carolinas.
“It was fun,” he said. Apparently, it’s still
fun for the Newdawg as his star continues to
rise.
Despite the big market exposure, Scruggs
has great feelings about his college days, and
he is fondly remembered at UNCP.
“Newy had a tremendous passion for
sports and wanted to be a part of it,” said
Athletic Director Dan Kenney. “I remember
him coming up to me as basketball coach to
ask if he could do anything.
“He was a fixture with the broadcast pro-gram,
and I would not be surprised to see him
on ESPN some day soon,” he added.
Scruggs was also a fixture with the
players, said Student Activities Director
Abdul Ghaffar, who was a senior co-captain
during Scruggs’ freshman year.
“He was Mr. Fan,” he said. “He was like
a teammate, and everybody loved him.”
He was also the guy who knew every-body’s
stats on the team and in the league,
Ghaffar said.
“He loves his sports and brings incredible
energy to it,” he said. “I am so proud of his
successes.”
The Newdawg is an Army kid who
hooked up with UNCP via Fort Bragg. Send
Newy e-mail at Newy.Scruggs@nbc.com,
or visit his personal Web site:
www.newdawg.com/index.asp.
AlAulmumnnii PPrroofiflielses
Newy Scruggs ’93
“It’s about
taking pride in
your school.”
1st Annual
Alumni Legacy
August 22, 2003
Our first annual legacy pays tribute to
new students and their families that are
making UNCP a family tradition.
Inductees will enjoy a banquet, including a
pinning ceremony, to continue the legacy
of choosing us as a family tradition.
To learn more about this
dynamic program
1-800-949-UNCP
(910) 521-6533
alumni@uncp.edu
www.uncp.edu/alumni
UNCP Today Page 20
Koji Sado: From dropout to SGA president
by Sheri Sides
Four years ago, Koji Sado had a tough
time getting accepted to college.
“I made the mistake of dropping
out of school,” Sado said. “I got my GED
later, but I think when colleges saw that,
they considered it a weakness.”
Sado shows no sign of weakness now.
He served two years in the Student
Government Association.
Sado was an officer for the
International Business Club and the
Campus Activity Board and a resident
adviser in the dorms.
He did all this while maintaining
a 3.7 GPA, earning him the Outstand-ing
Undergraduate Business Student
Award.
“After dropping out of school, I got a
job in marketing and sales in Malaysia,
and people were impressed with my work,”
Sado said. “When they asked what college
I graduated from, I told them I had a GED,
and suddenly they weren’t interested any-more.
That’s when I made it a priority to
go to college.”
Although other colleges were skeptical
of his GED, Sado was accepted to UNC
Pembroke.
Abdul Ghaffar, director of Student
Activities at UNCP, praised Sado.
“Koji is one of the most dedicated
students I have ever worked with,”
Ghaffar said. “Koji is incredibly
organized, intelligent and wise
beyond his years.”
Sado said attending UNCP
has been a maturing experience,
and it took a little help from his
friends.
“The faculty here is great. They
really care about you,” he said.
“Whenever I had problems, they
were there to help me.”
The new graduate has some
advice for new college students.
“A big aspect of going to college
is meeting new people. This is easy
at UNC Pembroke, and I treasure
that because the friends I have now
are lifelong friends,” Sado said.
“You can redo your life. If you’re
focused and believe in yourself,
anything is possible,” he added.
Early in his career, Nick Arena tried
to earn his master’s in business administration
(MBA) degree. Twice, he was unable to
continue due to busy work and family
schedules.
When he decided to finish his MBA at
UNCP, he was concerned that, being in his
50s, it might be too late.
“It was a personal thing for me,” he
said. “I tried in the ’80s, but I was just too
busy.
“I went into the program wondering if
I could compete with the younger students,”
he added. “I am not that good with computers,
so that was an issue.”
Arena, who is general manager of Acme
Electric’s Lumberton plant, was named
Outstanding MBA Student.
Early on, he decided that age and
experience are his best assets.
“As a general manager, I am involved
in every area of the business,” he said.
“There was
something
I took out
of every
class and
was able to
put it into
action
immediately.”
He also took three courses via the
Internet.
The only thing that suffered was his golf
game, the Pinehurst resident said.
“I had a lot of support from my family,”
Arena said. “I work pretty long hours, so I
studied on Saturdays. Sitting on my deck with
a laptop, it was tough watching the golfers.”
Arena said he recommends the program
to his managers at Acme. A Philadelphia
native and Villanova graduate, he spent a
career rising through the management ranks
at several Fortune 500 companies.
“The education you get here would
compete with the big-name schools,” he
said. “I had some of the best professors
I have ever had.”
Acme Electric, which manufactures
electric power conditioning devices, employs
approximately 200 today and is owned by
Key Components Inc., headquartered in
Tarrytown, N.Y.
For MBA information, call (910) 521-
6637 or visit www.uncp.edu/business/mba.
Nick Arena ’03
New Alumni
Koji Sado ’03
NICK ARENA:
‘It’s never too late’
shop at www.unPacgep 21.edu/bookstore Summer 2003
Shop at
Braided round pendant with barrel
#7403 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95
(chain sold separately)
Rounded braided cuff bangle
bracelet
#7608 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36.95
Braided round pierced earrings
#7402 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$21.95
Small beaded black and yellow
bracelet with 7" chain
#7405 . . . . . . . . . . .$27.95
Round shiny earrings with domed
surface on posts
#7591 . . . . . . . . . . .$16.95
Domed square earrings on posts
#7588 . . . . . . . . . .$16.95
Oval bangle bracelet with heavy twist
band * 7" silver gold
#7583 . . . . . . . . . .$41.95
Square braided
7" bangle
#7609 . . . . . . . . . .$31.95
Support the
Braves and
wear the latest
designs in
beautiful
sterling silver
jewelry
and other
selections
now available
at the
Bookstore.
(910) 521-6222 • 1-800-949-UNCP
bookstore@uncp.edu
Visa and MasterCard accepted
the UNCP Bookstore

It was a wonderful graduation at UNC
Pembroke on May 10.
Watching students make the
transformation from undergraduates
to alumni reminded me of my graduation
from Pembroke many years ago. I remem-ber
how proud I was of being a graduate
from what was then called Pembroke
State University.
You could see it in the 2003
graduates’ eyes and handshakes that
they had that same feeling and were
proud to be graduates of The University
of North Carolina at Pembroke. This
pride is still alive and well today in all
the alumni I meet.
I challenge each of you to think back to
the day you graduated and remember that
great day in your life. Then call the Office
of Alumni Relations and plan to be part
of the next alumni function.
Find out when and where the
nearest local alumni chapter is
meeting and plan to be at its next
gathering. Just because you graduated
doesn’t mean that your time at the
university is over.
At UNCP, we are a
family, and we want
to see you and hear
from you.
Visit your UNC
Pembroke family
soon and get that
“just-graduated”
feeling again. I look
forward to seeing you there!
Upon arriving at The University of
North Carolina at Pembroke in 1999,
I was impressed and excited about the
wealth of opportunities found within our
campus “walls.” We are greeting one of
the most exciting opportunities of our
institutional life — the most ambitious
building campaign in 30 years.
We take great pride in our many
successes. We are rapidly establishing
ourselves as a major regional university.
We are the fastest-growing university in
North Carolina. We have outstanding
programs and professors, and we continue
to offer a personal touch in teaching and
learning. These established accomplish-ments
and successes will never change,
but the look of our campus will change
significantly to mirror our strong
infrastructure.
From UNCP’s Main Entrance to the
new Physical Plant, virtually no corner
will be left untouched as we transform
our property into one of the most attractive
and technologically advanced campuses in
America. Braves Drive will permanently
close and make way for a walking mall.
The Oxendine Science Building, the first
campus building most visitors see, will
boast a new exterior and will complement
a new Main Entrance that will greet you
soon. Walking areas on campus will be
enhanced with our new red, molded
concrete sidewalks. UNCP’s Water Feature
is a nice addition to our campus, and the
recently refurbished Lowry Bell Tower
on the Quad once again chimes our
Alma Mater.
The UNC Pembroke family does not
delight alone in our campus’ improve-ments.
UNCP’s economic impact on its
surrounding communities continues to
grow as enrollment increases and construc-tion
booms. The money we infuse into
our communities will surpass $100 million
in a few years.
Our most important priority is to build
stronger bonds with our alumni. I encour-age
all our alumni to visit us and once
again enjoy all our campus has to offer.
Coordinate a visit around our Distinguished
Speaker Series, attend a soccer game at
the new Belk
Athletic Complex
or attend a basket-ball
game in the
soon-to-be newly
renovated Main
Gym of Jones
Athletic Complex
(you will enjoy
the new seats and
the remodeled Braves Club room). If you
prefer the arts, come visit our campus and
see a Broadway production of “Cats,”
“Saturday Night Fever” or “In the Mood”
at GPAC. Better yet, begin planning now to
join us for Homecoming in February 2004
with the Four Tops.
The University of North Carolina at
Pembroke is your campus — anyone who
walked through our hallways, attended
classes or enjoyed an event here has a part
in who we are and what we will accom-plish.
Please come visit us soon and see
the difference you have made in the life
of this campus and our community.
Chancellor Allen C. Meadors, Ph.D., FACHE
Your campus is undergoing historic changes;
more reasons for our alumni to come home
Alumni Association President Hal Sargent ’96
Commencement 2003 was a trip down memory lane
UNCP Today Page 2
‘River Spirits’: New book from the
Native American Resource Center
by Sheri Sides
“River Spirits” is the first-ever
collection of Lumbee writings published
by the Native American Resource Center.
Forty-nine Lumbee authors contributed a
variety of work, both fact and fiction, that
overflows with the tribe’s proud past and
hopes for the future.
The book provides a window into the
Lumbee culture, said editor Stan Knick,
director of UNC Pembroke’s Native
American Resource Center.
“The collection of writings here is
not the result of a literary competition,
but instead an exploration of what is
meaningful, of what is valued, in Lumbee
culture,” he said, “because the meanings
and values of things are at the heart of all
human culture.”
Dr. Knick said he tried to be as
inclusive as possible in the selection
process.
“There was such a variety of
writing that was submitted, and I think
that reflects something about the
Lumbee culture,” he said.
The book includes the only known
poem by the late Lumbee historian Adolph
L. Dial, who co-wrote a history of the
Lumbee, “The Only Land I Know.”
Several poems by the late poet and
historian Lew Barton were also included.
“Although deceased, I knew they
were a part of the body of writing of
the Lumbee,” Dr. Knick said.
Works from a new generation of
Lumbee authors include Delano
Cummings, author of “Moon Dash
Warrior” and “River Dreams.”
This is the first book published
by the Native American Resource
Center to come complete with an
ISBN number.
“Hopefully other publications will
follow,” Dr. Knick said.
Dr. Knick has gotten a better view of
the Lumbee Tribe during his 17 years at
the university and is an honorary member
of the Lumbee Tribe.
“Nobody outside of a culture can
ever really get all the way inside,” he said.
“All you can do is get a better view, and
that is what this book is about.”
Each work in “River Spirits” is a
reflection of centuries of tradition
passed down through generations that
continues to shape the Lumbee identity.
Most of the funding for the book
came from private donors, especially
Anne Lowry Sistrunk, her husband,
Don C. Sistrunk, and her mother,
Mrs. Earl C. Lowry.
The 174-page collection is available
through the Native American Resource
Center by calling (910) 521-6282, or
e-mail nativemuseum@uncp.edu.
Journal No. 35 is Stephenson’s 25th
Sporting a red cover with gold
lettering, Pembroke Magazine No. 35
is now available to readers.
The international literary journal
features Robert Morgan, author of “Gap
Creek” and “This Rock.” It includes a
short story by Morgan, “The Church of
the Ascension,” and 10 essays on
Morgan’s work.
The 337-page volume also features a
memorial to the late poet Anna Wooten-
Hawkins, an interview with Poet Laureate
Billy Collins and a tribute to Fayetteville
newspaperman and historian Roy Parker
Jr., who was honored at the annual North
Carolina Writers Conference.
For English Professor Shelby
Stephenson, No. 35 is his 25th edition.
To celebrate, he took the summer off
from teaching for the first time in history.
Published annually, Pembroke
Magazine is available for $8 ($8.50 over-seas)
by writing P.O. Box 1510, Pembroke,
NC 28358, by calling (910) 521-6358 or
by e-mailing the managing editor at
tina.emanuel@uncp.edu.
Page 3 Summer 2003
CaCmampupuss NNoottees s
Burnette to lead University Relations
Dr. Glen G.
Burnette Jr. has
been appointed
to the post of
vice chancellor
for the Office
for University
and Community
Relations. Dr.
Burnette was formerly vice chancellor for
the Office of Advancement.
In his new post, he will be responsible
for the planning and organization of the
university’s internal relations and public
affairs programs, including media relations,
publications, community relations,
legislative and government affairs, crisis
communications and the public relations
program.
Dr. Burnette has been employed as
director of Alumni Relations for 10 years
and most recently served as vice chancellor
for Advancement for four years.
He received his undergraduate
degree and his master’s of arts degree
in education from UNCP. He holds his
doctor of education degree in higher
education administration from North
Carolina State University.
“Dr. Burnette’s long leadership
tenure is a testament to his abilities as an
administrator and public servant,” said
Chancellor Meadors. “His leadership skills,
along with his knowledge, dedication and
commitment to both the university and our
service region, make him the right choice
for this important position.”
“I will dedicate myself to empower-ing
our constituents and promoting
ownership in the university within our
region,” Dr. Burnette said. “I am looking
forward to continuing my work with the
chancellor, faculty, staff, students and
community to maintain and advance the
university’s position of excellence in
higher education.”
Baker named dean of School of Education
Dr. Warren
Baker has been
named dean of
the School of
Education.
He is a 1975
UNCP graduate
and served as
interim dean of
the School of Education for the past 10
months.
“Dr. Warren Baker has a long and suc-cessful
association with UNC Pembroke,”
said Dr. Roger Brown, provost and vice
chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Along
the way, Dr. Baker was director of
Admissions, director of Institutional
Research and Planning, a faculty member,
director of University-School Partnerships,
interim dean of education and now dean
of education.
“Rarely has any candidate had such a
broad record of involvement in critical
areas of the university,” Dr. Brown
added. “His knowledge of UNCP and of
the school communities in our region will
be invaluable to us as we continue our
exemplary record of teacher education
for the 21st century.”
Dr. Baker has been instrumental
in guiding the school through several
important achievements, including
National Council For Accreditation of
Teacher Education (NCATE) reaccredita-tion,
an exemplary rating from the state
Department of Public Instruction and
growth of students seeking certification
by 78 percent (to 812) since 1999.
“We know from the value of
education today how crucial teacher
preparation is to the future of North
Carolina,” Dr. Baker said. “I am
confident that we will continue
to provide our state with the very
best classroom teachers and
administrators.”
Geller wins UNC’s
highest award
for teaching
The Board of Governors of the
16-campus University of North Carolina
selected UNC Pembroke Professor Jeffery
Geller to receive the ninth annual Award
for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Geller is widely acclaimed
for making philosophy a popular course
for successive generations of students
and by his colleagues for his academic
achievements.
He received a commemorative
bronze medallion and a $7,500 cash prize.
Dr. Geller is the keynote speaker for
Winter Commencement 2003.
“The Board of Governors’Award
for Excellence in Teaching has special
meaning to the faculty of UNCP because
we place such a high value on effective
teaching,” said Dr. Roger Brown,
UNCP’s provost and vice chancellor for
Academic Affairs. “Dr. Geller is a worthy
addition to the list of previous winners
who have established our reputation as
a university where student learning
comes first.”
Dr. Geller published an edited
collection of essays on American philoso-phy
this year, titled “Conversations with
Pragmatism” (Rodolpi Press; New York
and Amsterdam). He has published or
collaborated on numerous papers covering
a wide range of topics, including film
theory, political economy, biology,
psychology, African literature and
philosophy.
UNCP Today Page 4
U.S. Senator John Edwards issued grad-uates
one final assignment: “to confront the
bigotry and hatred we have yet to purge
from this country.”
The first-term senator, who launched
a bid for the presidency in January, said
civility and passivity are allies of hatred
and racial bigotry, and that “silence implies
consent.”
“We turn our backs daily from small
battlegrounds,” he said. “You — and we —
have an obligation to stand against the
forces of intolerance that deny opportunity
to others. You — and we — have an obliga-tion
to confront hatred and state clearly that
it will no longer be tolerated.”
Sen. Edwards was keynote speaker May
10 for Commencement ceremonies that saw
384 graduate, 61 with master’s degrees. It
was the largest Spring Commencement in
the history of a rapidly growing university.
The North Carolina native said the years
following graduation should not be years of
“blind ambition,” but instead years of “blind
compassion.”
“How brightly you burn on this journey
will not depend on what you do for
yourselves,” he said. “It
will depend, I am cer-tain,
on what you do for
others ... and on how you
permit others to be treat-ed
in your presence.
“Where there is
injustice, there is your
battleground,” he added.
“Where there is misery,
there is your battle-ground.
“I know you can,
because 116 years ago,
your forefathers, the
founding fathers of
The University of North
Carolina at Pembroke,
acted and made a differ-ence,”
he concluded.
In a press conference
before Commencement,
Sen. Edwards said he is “very encouraged”
about his campaign for the presidency.
The Robbins, N.C., native, who is the
first member of his family to graduate from
college, sidestepped foreign policy questions
to focus on domestic issues — social and
economic.
“We have work to do in North Carolina,
particularly in some parts,” he said about
southeastern North Carolina. “The first thing
we have to do is rebuild the economy of this
country. We must energize the economy.”
Sen. Edwards also
proposed a “College for
Everyone” program to
ensure that every young
American can attend
college.
On a sweltering
Saturday morning with a
standing-room-only crowd
in the Main Gym of the
Jones Athletic Complex,
Chancellor Meadors bid
farewell to a class that
enrolled at UNCP the same
year he arrived on campus.
“We share a special bond, as many of
you began your journeys here at The
University of North Carolina at Pembroke
four years ago when I became chancellor of
this fine institution,” he said. “During the past
four years, UNC Pembroke has become the
fastest-growing university in North Carolina,
and each of you are fully prepared for your
futures as UNCP graduates.
“I challenge each of you to claim your
dreams and goals as your own,” he added.
UNC President Molly Broad offered
praise for enrollment growth and high-quality
instruction at UNCP, but added
a cautionary note.
“This is a university on the rise with
an outstanding faculty and a growing commit-ment
to the region,” President Broad said. “In
the face of remarkable growth, we face unre-lenting
rounds of budget cuts that now place
the birthright of every North Carolinian in
jeopardy. That birthright is to obtain a high-quality,
affordable education.”
President Broad called upon legislators
and the people of North Carolina to find the
courage to make the right choices for the
future of the state.
Dr. Ruth Dial Woods of Pembroke
brought greetings from the Board of
Governors, Henry Lewis from the trustees,
Dr. Thomas Dooling from the faculty, Hal
Sargent II from alumni and Koji Sado from
the student government.
Sen. John Edwards addresses grads
Record number graduate at Spring Commencement
Sen. Edwards and UNC President Broad
Sen. Edwards meets the press
Page 5 Summer 2003
UNCP’s
‘Weightless
Lumbees’
take it to
the limit
with NASA
Boldly they flew outside the bounds
of Earth. Like Icarus, they paid a price for
defying the laws of gravity.
“They said not to eat a lot, and I just
ate some Cheetos,” said Mary Beth Brayboy.
“It was an amazing feeling, but I think I got
too excited.”
Brayboy and a team of four other Weight-less
Lumbees flew aboard NASA’s KC135A
at Johnson Space Center in Houston. They
performed several scientific experiments on
the diffusion of fluids in zero gravity.
Some time into the 40 parabolas that
produced 20-second periods of weightless-ness,
Brayboy and most of the team found out
why they call the KC135A the “vomit comet.”
“The flight engineer said they had
never seen anybody the color of a green
flight suit before,” said team adviser and
Chemistry Professor Tim Ritter. “It’s a
remarkable opportunity for undergraduates
because it is the only place on Earth where
you can experiment in zero gravity.”
For others, it was the theme park ride
they will never forget and an experience
of a lifetime.
“You can’t describe it,” said Joseph
Oxendine. “You just leave the ground.
I brought a football and played with it.”
“I turned flips,” said April Oxendine.
“I just pulled my knees to my chest and
the flight engineer spun me.”
For the university and the community,
sending five students to work with NASA has
many rewards.
“Only a few hundred earthlings have
had the experience that our students got,”
Dr. Ritter said. “They performed real
science, and they are sharing it with
the community.”
The UNCP students, from Scotland,
Hoke and Robeson counties, shared their
NASA experiments by giving lectures at
several local schools and worked a NASA
booth at the recent Festival of Flight.
More than 300 colleges and universities
applied for 72 spots in the program. Harvard,
MIT and California Institute of Technology
were represented.
“It was great,” said April Oxendine. “We
had the time of our lives.
“We have not analyzed all the data yet,
but from visuals it did not look like there
was any difference in the rate of diffusions.
It was constant.”
The Weightless Lumbees underwent
training at high-altitude conditions. They
worked hard in the lab, and they met
students from all over the nation also
participating in NASA’s Reduced Gravity
Undergraduate Research Program.
Participating for UNCP were April and
Joe Oxendine, Toni Chagolla, Mary Beth
Brayboy and Ginger Moody.
For chemistry major Joseph Oxendine, the
experience was so compelling that he changed
career plans.
“It was the best time of my life,” he said.
“I want to fly jets and eventually join the
space program.
“My future has never been clearer to me,”
he added.
Mary Beth Brayboy brought it home to Pembroke
Elementary students.
April Oxendine found time for work and play aboard NASA’s KC135A.
UNCP Today Page 6
Kelvin Sampson was genuinely
pleased to be home in Pembroke.
“I never thought I would be a
distinguished speaker,” he told an
audience of more than 500 this spring
at the Givens Performing Arts Center.
“I never thought I would be distinguished.
I’m honored.”
Sampson, a 1978 UNCP graduate
and head basketball coach at Oklahoma
University, was the final speaker in the
2002-2003 Distinguished Speaker Series.
“I take representing Pembroke
and UNCP very seriously,” he said.
Appearing very comfortable
on his home court, Sampson mixed
stories of his family and growing
up in Pembroke with the lessons he
has learned in 26 years as a head coach.
And he offered inspiration.
“As you grow older, you go from
having heroes to having people who
inspire you,” the 46-year-old coach said.
“I challenge everyone in this room to
find someone to inspire you and find
a way to inspire someone else.”
Sampson and his teams have been
accused of being overachievers after
building one of the top programs in the
nation without the benefit of waves of
blue-chip players.
“I don’t like the word ‘overachieve.’
Don’t ever tell me my teams overachieve,”
he said. “If you’re successful, you’ve
lived up to your ability level.
“We don’t want to have great teams,”
he added. “We want to have a great
program.”
Sampson’s team has won three straight
Big 12 Conference tournament champi-onships
and is invited to the NCAA
tournament every year. But he said he
has learned more lessons from losing
than from winning.
At his first head coaching stop at
Montana Tech, his first two teams
went 5-22 and 4-23.
“Jud Heathcote called me up to
congratulate me for taking Montana Tech
from obscurity to oblivion,” Sampson
said with a laugh. Heathcote was the
Michigan State coach who gave the young
college graduate from Pembroke his first
coaching job.
“The first step up the ladder of success
is failure,” he added. “It’s nothing to be
ashamed of.”
Sampson persevered at Montana,
and his next stop was in the PAC-10 at
Washington State.
“The toughest job in the PAC-10 is
Washington State,” he said. “Any team that
would hire a 24-year-old Native American
as its coach has to be in bad shape.”
Sampson’s first team went 1-17 in
PAC-10 play.
“We weren’t really that bad. We just
weren’t good enough to win,” he said.
“Of all the things that have happened to
me, that was the best.
“Mature people know how to handle
adversity,” he added. “People who can’t
handle adversity blame others.”
Sampson said he admires commitment,
unselfishness and teamwork in his players.
“Some kids have a hard time being
teammates,” he said. “A very good
player will get you 15 points and 10
rebounds a night. A great player will get
you 15 points, 10 rebounds and will be
your most popular player, the kind of
kid other players go to when they’re
down.
“Coaching is getting your kids
to understand teamwork, to be givers,”
he added. “I don’t like people who
were born on third base and think
they hit a triple. If your best player
is your hardest worker, it will be hard
not to succeed.
“Soft people want things handed to
them,” the coach said. “Successful people
compete, not just play hard.”
To the young people of the audience,
Sampson had this advice.
“Kids will tell you it’s tough for them,���
he said. “You can be anything you want,
but you can’t be afraid to fail.
“Ordinary people do extraordinary
things,” he added.
Kelvin Sampson:
‘Find a way to inspire someone’
Page 7 Summer 2003
The economic impact of UNCP
on its surrounding community will
surpass $100 million in just three years,
a university study shows.
Enrollment growth and construction
will fuel expansion of the university’s
economic footprint, said Chancellor
Meadors.
“We are a university under construction,”
he said. “We are also expecting a fourth
consecutive year of record-breaking
enrollment growth.”
The university’s largest construction pro-ject
in history — the $17 million renovation
and addition of laboratories to the Oxendine
Science Building — broke ground in May.
But this is just the beginning:
• Regional Center — $1.4 million project
broke ground in April
• Physical Plant Complex — $9.7 million
project began construction in May
• Jones Physical Education Center —
$9 million expansion and renovation
project began in June
Over the next five years, the university
expects to spend approximately $80 million
on construction of all kinds. North Carolina
Higher Education Bonds will pay for $57
million of these costs.
Construction at the university
will add jobs and infuse capital into
the surrounding communities, Chancellor
Meadors said.
“This is the biggest construction
boom in the university’s history,
and it will add significantly to
the prosperity of our community,”
he said. “The value added to our
communities from higher education
is immeasurable, but this study tracks
the measurable impact of a growing
university on its surrounding
community.”
Growth of enrollment at the
university is well-established and
gaining momentum. Since 1999,
enrollment has grown 48 percent.
The university’s budget is financed
on a per-pupil basis.
Enrollment growth means
employment growth, and university
employment has blossomed from
450 to 660 since 1999, Chancellor
Meadors said.
“Increasing job opportunities
has the greatest impact on our local
community, and it is what I am most
proud of,” he said. “Jobs support
families, and families support
communities.”
When will it end?
Chancellor Meadors predicts
enrollment to reach 6,000 by 2007.
By that time, the university’s economic
impact will be well in excess of $100
million.
“We have worked extremely hard
to establish UNC Pembroke as a branded
name in higher education,” the chancellor
said. “Our future success will only be
limited by how hard we continue to
work and our own imaginations.”
Enrollment gains, construction driving growth
University’s economic impact
to top $100 million in three years
$53
3062
3445
3833
4433
4800
5150
5550
5800
6000
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
$55
$62
$82
Economic Impact
(In millions)
Enrollment Projections
$88 $93
$99 $103 $105
$120
$100
$80
$60
$40
6000
5000
4000
3000
Chancellor Meadors and a legion of archi-tects,
engineers and contractors are sculpting
the new face of the university.
“We are,” the chancellor said, “a university
under construction.”
At times it seems more like a campus
under siege, as parking lots are temporarily
cordoned off, sidewalks replaced and streets
closed. It is the largest building program in
university history.
Even the underground is not safe as major
upgrades continue to water, irrigation, sewer,
electric power and fiber optic systems. There
is not enough room here to describe the tidal
wave of campus changes that are under
construction and in the planning stages.
Changing face
of a university
Buildings are just part of the plan
as historic building program begins
Oxendine Science — A new exterior, renovations and a new laboratory wing at a cost of
$17 million makes it the most expensive construction project in university history.
C o n s t r u c t i o n
T i m e l i n e *
*all dates are subject to change
Higher
Education
Bonds
passed by
N.C. voters,
with $57
million for
UNCP
State and
universities
plan
sales of
bonds and
create a
construction
management
system
Architects
are hired
and designs
drawn for
the largest
construction
project in
university
history
March
Ground
broken for
Regional
Center
$1.4
million
June-
September
University
Village
Apartments
complete
privately
funded
May
Ground
broken
for
Oxendine
Science
and
Physical Plant
$26.7
million
June
Work
begins
on
Track/
Soccer
complex
$800,000
August
Jones
addition,
renovations
begin
$9
million
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
“Focused
Growth”
designation
means
funding
for
campus
beautification
UNCP Today Page 8
Chancellor Meadors offered this solution:
“If our alumni and friends have not seen what
is going on here, they should come visit us.”
Here are highlights of major campus con-struction
under way or planned for the near
future:
• Braves Drive, part of the north/south
campus thoroughfare, will close forever
this summer between the University Center
and Jones Athletic Complex to make way
for a pedestrian mall.
• Oxendine Science Building — the first
building visitors see — will have an
attractive new exterior and undergo
$17 million in interior renovations,
including a new wing with laboratories.
• Jones Athletic Complex will also get
a new exterior, new classrooms, air
conditioning, offices and a complete
overhaul ($9 million).
• Anew Main Entrance is being designed
off Odom Road.
• The Bookstore will relocate from D.F.
Lowry to the more spacious Business
Services building.
• The University Center will get an annex
building for additional offices and meeting
space ($3 million).
• The new, privately funded University
Village Apartments will be constructed
on the former intramural fields.
• Alarge new Physical Plant and Business
Services complex will be constructed on
the far north side of campus.
• A499-seat stadium, with locker
rooms, concessions and storage, will
be constructed at the new Belk Track
and Soccer Complex.
• Anew classroom building is planned.
• Acluster of 12 classrooms, offices and labs
has been located just north of the Dial
Building to temporarily house the depart-ments
of Mathematics and Computer
Science, Biology and Chemistry, and Physics.
• Major overhauls are set for the Moore,
Locklear, D.F. Lowery, Business and
Student Health Services buildings.
• Old sidewalks are giving way to red,
molded concrete sidewalks.
• And a facelift for the Lowry Bell Tower. It
will chime UNCP’s Alma Mater once again.
“No corner of our campus will be left
untouched,” Chancellor Meadors said. “UNC
Pembroke is going to be one of the most
attractive campuses in the United States. Our
students and faculty deserve it. So do our
alumni and friends.”
Facilities Planning and Construction — In charge of campus construction are, from left, Steve
Martin, facility architect; Bess Tyner, director; Bobby Dean Locklear, project manager; Frank
Britt, facility engineering specialist; and Melissa Vance, administrative.
May
Physical
Plant
complete
August
Classroom
building
$6.7
million
University
Center
Annex
begins
$3 million
November
Main
Entrance
project
begins
$2 million
Locklear Hall
renovation
begins
$2 million
June
Business
Services
and
Bookstore
construction
begins
$2.6
million
September
Oxendine
Science
renovation,
addition
complete
December
Business
Administration
building
renovations
begin
$1
million
February
Moore Hall
renovations
begin
$2.5
million
June
Business
Services
and
Bookstore
complete
August
Classroom
building
and
University
Center
Annex
complete
October
Bookstore
renovations
complete
May
West
Hall
renovations
begin
$1
million
July
Main
Entrance
complete;
D.F. Lowry
renovations
begin
$2
million
August
Locklear
and West
renovations
complete
December
Business
Administration
renovations
complete
February
Moore Hall
renovations
complete
June
D.F. Lowry
renovations
complete
October
Jones
Athletic
complete 2005
2006
Page 9 Summer 2003
UNCP Today Page 10
Page 11 Summer 2003
UNCP Today Page 12
AdAvdavnancceemmeentnt
INDIVIDUALS
John I. Adams
Bob Andrews
Robert W. Antone
William E. Antone
James H. Ayars
Sandy L. Baker
Martha Baldwin
Elsmer Ray Barnes
Marion F. Bass
Martha H. Beach
Randall & Robin O. Beard
G. Thomas Blankenship
Barbara Braveboy-Locklear
Hampton C. Brayboy
Isaac T. Brayboy
Larry R. Brayboy
Mary E. Brayboy
Betty F. Bridger
David E. Brooks
Martin L. Brooks
Roger Brown
Cliff Bullard
Sybil Bullard
Glen G. Burnette
Cecil A. Butler
Katharine Butterworth
Patrick & Suellen Cabe
Dallas M. Campbell
Mary D. Caple
James Carroll
Robert Caton
James B. Chavis
Janet O. Chavis
Herman Chavis
James J. Cobb III
Michael Cohen
Jeff Collins
Cecil & Naomi Conley
Samuel L. Cox
Sammy Cox Sr.
Robin G. Cummings
Jose D’Arruda
Kent Dean
Harriet C. Dial Baker
Maureen Dial & Family
Katherine Dial
Alfredo Dipinto
Gerald Domenick
James Ebert
Charles R. Farrell
Chester Finn
Allene S. Gane
Melvin E. Gardner Jr.
Fred George
M. Carr Gibson
Grace L. Gibson
Patterson Gibson
Paul R. Givens
Allan R. Glenn
Owen L. Goldsmith
Gibson H. Gray
Christine Griffin
Milton Gene Hall
Bill Hall
Elaine B. Haraway
J. Ben Hardin
Elwood Hardin
Barry Harding
Neil Hawk
Eunice Henderson
Luther Wilson Herndon
Jean Hodges
Leonard Holmes
James F. Hubbard
Josephine Humphrey
Francis Pete Ivey
Charles R. Jenkins
Darrell D. Johnson
Alfred Jones
Diane O. Jones
Thomas A. Jones
Bonnie Kelley
Christopher T. Kirks
Daniel H. Laurent
Thomas M. Lewis
Henry Lewis
Carlton Lindsey
Joseph P. Riddle
Gregory Locklear
Cheryl Ransom Locklear
Delton Ray Locklear
Dennis Lowery
Welton Lowry
Burlin Lowry
Lycurous Lowry
Monroe F. Lowry
Magnolia Lowry
Josephine B. Lucente
David Malloy
Al Mangum
Bill Mason III
Malinda M. Maynor
C.W. Maynor
James C. Maynor
Annie R. Maynor
Jayne P. Maynor
Waltz Maynor
John L. McLean
Allen C. Meadors
Elizabeth L. Normandy
Faye N. Ostrom
Roger D. Oxendine
JoAnn Oxendine
Louis S. Oxendine
Joseph B. Oxendine
Brion Oxendine
Russell Oxendine
Riley Oxendine
Jesse E. Oxendine
Gervais Oxendine
James W. Oxendine
H. Dobbs Oxendine Jr.
William L. Oxendine Jr.
Lynda W. Parlett
Donna Payne
Raymond B. Pennington
Cheryl Pettyjohn
Gary N. Powers
R.W. Reising
John Reissner
John C. Rozier
Karen Gail Sampson
John W. Sampson
Joseph E. Sandlin
Lula Jane Smith
C.D. Spangler
Kenneth Strickland
Ronnie Sutton
Dick Taylor
James A. Thomas
Alan Thompson
Sharon F. Valentine
George R. Walter
W. Barry Watkins
Rudy D. Williams
Dexter Clark
Jeri P. Hyland
Thomas Edward O’Neal
John Walker Bullard
Robert Preston Swiney
David R. Trinidad
Noah Woods
Lacey E. Gane II
Cherry Beasley
W. Howard Dean
David F. Weinstein
Thomas Ross
Olivia Lowry
Shirley A. Richardson
Ann L. Sistrunk
Albert Scruggs III
BUSINESSES
Mary Ann Elliott, Arrowhead Space &
Telecom.
John Sill, Belk Hensdale Co.
Charles D. Locklear, CD Trucking
Charles Schawb & Co.
Marilyn F. Graham, Chrysler Corp. Fund
Tony Normand, COMTech
Joe Manis, Crestline Homes Inc.
Cumberland Co. Coliseum Complex
David Edge, Image Supply
Jim Miles, J & S Factory Showcase
Jerry L. Johnson, Jerry Johnson Chevrolet
Larry Sampson, Sampson Farms
Samuel R. Locklear Jr., Locklear & Son
Funeral Home
Grady Hunt, Locklear, Jacobs, Hunt &
Brooks
Lonnie Locklear Jr., Construction
Mike Dotson, Lowe’s Foods
Ronnie Hunt, LREMC
William F. Wright, Lumberton Ford-Lincoln
Lou Orban, Lumberton Rotary
Michael Locklear, M & R Elec. Security
Alarms
Jerry Hall, Mazda Foundation
Madison McElroy, Meritor
Tony Wooten, Meritor Automotive
Frank Rader, NC/USAWrestling
Russell Livermore III, Pates Supply
Lindsey Locklear, Pembroke Hardware
Sandra K. Locklear, Pembroke Optometric
Progress Energy
Roland T. Orr, Progressive Savings
Christopher Scott, Scott Buick-Cadillac
Charles E. Mullins, Scottish Food Systems
James H. Sheffield, Sheff’s Seafood
Fred Formichella, Sodexho
Charles A. Maynor, Southern Interiors
Lou Kirchen, Spartan Broadcasting
James White, Square D Foundation
Henry Lewis, St. Albans Masonic Lodge
Duke Energy Foundation
Ralph M. Parsons Foundation
Tara Group of Lumberton
Triangle Community Foundation Inc.
Triangle Bancorp
Harvey Godwin Jr., Two Hawk Employment
Wachovia Bank
Jim Thrash, WFAY-TV 62
Thomas Melhorn, Willamette Industries
Mitch Saeed, WKFT-TV 40
Robert F. Bleecker, Bleecker Olds-Buick
Dana Wilson, Butler Mfg.
N.C. Natural Gas
John P. Barker, Triangle Ice
Bank of America
John Beddow, Fleetwood Homes
Dorothy Blue, Pembroke BPW
Charles G. Cummings, CG’s Car Wash
Jerry L. Eagle, Jefferson-Pilot Foundation
Charles Broadwell, Fayetteville Observer
Patricia Locklear, LRDA
Kenneth P. Rust, Rust Enterprises
Bill Bird, N.C. Assoc. of Insurance Agents
Al Bounds, Buckeye Cellulose
Robert Caton, Eagle Distributing Co.
William McKee, Fleet Investment SVC
David H. Clinton, Hayes/Howell Assoc.
Sara Lee Foundation
Bill Shore, GlaxoSmithKline
St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church
Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity
J.T. Bullock, Robeson Correctional
Ray Shaw, Shaw Office Supply
West End Presbyterian Church
Kelvin D. Sampson, KDS Enterprises
Eric Collins, Time Warner
Ben Waters, Capitol Broadcasting Co.
Mike Cummings, Burnt Swamp Baptist
Association
Pilkington
Bellsouth Telecomm.
James Gore, BB&T
Tony Prevatte, Prevatte Home Sales,
Carolina Converting
Bruno Manno, The Annie E. Casey
Foundation
The Thomas Fordham Foundation
Darrell Marks, Phoenix Fashions
First One Bank
Bobbie Jacobs-Ghaffar, Native Angels
Home Health Agency
Craig Kennedy, University Courtyard
James Carroll, Adcar Inc.
Howard Brooks, Healthkeeperz
Carolina Women’s Center
Rational Software
Media General Inc., WBTW-TV13
Mortgage Quest Inc.
Irwin Belk, Belk Foundation
Wal-Mart Foundation
Robeson County Committee of 100
Josten’s Inc.
Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated
Carl W. Meares Jr., Carl Witten Meares
Foundation
Robesonian Golf Classic
Presser Foundation
Budgetext
Larry Brooks, Pembroke Elementary School
Charles R. Beasley, Lumberton Medical
Larry R. Chavis, Lumbee Guaranty Bank
The Chancellor’s Club
2003
A 1949 graduate and a member of the
Board of Trustees when he passed away
in 1997, James H. “Jim” Dial loved the
university.
Like many college graduates of his
generation, Dial returned from the war to
get a degree and find a career in teaching.
Dial and the post-war generation reinvig-orated
the university and their community.
Dial’s widow, Katherine B. Dial, has
memorialized his life with a gift of $50,000
to the university to dedicate a courtyard in
his name at the proposed new east entrance
to the university. The courtyard will be
located in the large island in front of Lumbee
Hall.
Mrs. Dial said the gift is a symbol of her
husband’s love of his university.
“I’m glad we could do this,” she said.
“If my husband were here to see it, he would
be proud.”
Dial was a lifetime Chancellor’s Club
member and one of the first to join the club.
Chancellor Allen C. Meadors thanked the
family for their support.
“The garden will be a focal point of the
university,” he said. “It will be one of the first
things people see when they drive onto campus
at the new entrance.
“This is a great gift honoring a great friend
of the university,” he added.
Mrs. Dial said she needed a guided tour
of campus because it has changed so much
since she graduated in 1946.
“I’m glad they left the front of Old Main
the same,” she said. “I had to have help to get
around campus today.”
During her visit to UNCP, Mrs. Dial
leafed through a 1946 Indianhead Yearbook
and paused for some fond memories. She
was the May Queen in 1946.
“We had some great times,” she said.
“I had very few classmates, but we had good
programs and plays.”
Jim and Katherine Dial have four children:
James H. Dial Jr. of Charlotte; Dennis Dial,
a military pilot stationed in Germany; and
Gina Dial and Colette D. Locklear, both
of Pembroke.
The Chancellor’s Club is the giving
society for major donors. With the help
of the club, the university is able to form
a solid educational foundation through bal-anced
programs of teaching, research and
service. By giving to UNCP, Chancellor’s
Club members are a vital part of the strong,
colorful fabric we collectively weave.
The Chancellor’s Club is an annual
giving club whose members contribute a
cash gift, a deferred gift or an ongoing
pledge of $1,000 per year. New graduates
may join at a reduced rate of $500. This
year, 26 new members were added,
bringing the membership to an all-time
high of 266.
There are a variety of ways to give,
including deferred gifts. Corporate matching
gifts are credited toward your pledge. All
gifts are tax-deductible to the extent of
current IRS regulations.
Chancellor’s Club members help the univer-sity
grow brighter and stronger. Their generosity
has woven commitment, encouragement and
hope into the fabric of the university’s
long and proud tradition.
Join today by making your check
payable to UNCP or the UNCP Foundation
Inc. and mailing it to the Office of Donor
Relations, P.O. Box 1510, Pembroke,
NC 28372 or call 1-800-949-8627
for details.
Page 13 Summer 2003
Chancellor’s
Club builds
support through
membership
Gift to honor former trustee Jim Dial ’49
Chancellor’s Club Advisory Board: seated, from left, James Ayars ’86, chair Gene Hall ’71,
past chair Barbara Meadors and Harvey Godwin ’91; standing, from left, Cherry Beasley,
Executive Director Teresa Oxendine ’97, James Ebert, Dick Taylor, Mary Alice Teets ’58 and
Jo Ann Oxendine ’78. Not pictured are Alfred Jones ’74, Rebecca Cummings and Henry Lewis ’73.
Chancellor Meadors and
Katherine B. Dial
Katherine Dial ’46 made a $50,000
contribution to the university in memory
of her late husband, James H. Dial ’49.
(See story, page 13)
Tim Brayboy ’64
was recently inducted
into the North Carolina
Athletic Association
Hall of Fame. A longtime
resident of Cary, N.C.,
he taught and coached
in the public schools. He
worked at the North Carolina Department
of Public Instruction from 1972 to 1995. He
was also an outstanding high school and
college game official. He officiated football
for 35 years and basketball for 30 seasons.
He is co-author of “Playing Before an
Overflow Crowd.”
Ronnie Chavis ’72 was coordinator
this summer for the Student Athlete
Summer Institute (SASI) camp at UNCP.
He is athletic director for the Public
Schools of Robeson County.
Rear Admiral Michael Holmes ’72,
a Robeson County native, has been
assigned as commander of the Patrol
and Reconnaissance Force Atlantic in
Norfolk, Va. He is commander of Fleet Air
Mediterranean Air Forces, Mediterranean
in Naples, Italy. Holmes grew up on a
farm near Lumberton in the Saddletree
community. He is one of only two or three
American Indian U.S. Navy admirals.
Holmes entered the Navy through the
Aviation Officer Candidate School and was
commissioned in December 1973. He
earned his pilot’s wings in November 1974.
Morris Bullock ’73 was promoted to
vice president of physician services and
business development at Southeastern
Regional Medical Center. He has been
with SRMC since 1987 as employment
manager, director of physician recruitment
and assistant vice president. He holds his
master’s of public health degree from
UNC-Chapel Hill.
Thomas Jernigan ’75 recently joined
Progressive State Bank’s loan department
and has been promoted to assistant vice
president. He has eight years of lending
experience. He lives with his wife,
Deborah, in Lumberton.
Ralph E. “Rick” Reeves Jr. ’75
has been named as a recipient of the
Washington Post’s Agnes Meyer
Outstanding Teacher Award. He was
also presented the Leo Schubert Memorial
Award, given by the Washington Section
of the American Chemical Society.
Bill “William McKee” Evans ’77,
award-winning historian, recently
hosted an evening of discussion on
“Documenting, Preserving and
Celebrating the 20th-Century History
of Robeson County.” He is an emeritus
professor of history at California
UNCP Today Page 14
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Board of Directors
Executive Board
President
Frank “Hal” Sargent II ’96
1st Vice President
Jeffrey Alejandro ’95
2nd Vice President
Jason Bentzler ’96
Secretary/Treasurer
Sandra McCormick ’95
Immediate Past President
Dwight Pearson ’77
Board Members
Marcia Coble ’82
Jeanne Fedak ’82
Greg Frick ’00
Wendy Lowry Jones ’99
Floyd Locklear ’86
Dr. Earlena Lowry ’65
Executive Director
Lorna McNeill Ricotta ’01
Alumni Chapters
Fayetteville Chapter
Wendy L. Jones, president
Robeson Chapter
Floyd Locklear ’86, president
Scotland Chapter
Marcia Coble ’82, president
Triangle Chapter
Greg Frick ’00, president
CLASS NOTES and
CHAPTER NEWS
To submit class notes or chapter news:
Office of Alumni Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
Web: www.uncp.edu/alumni
Phone: 1-800-949-UNCP
(910) 521-6533 or
Fax: (910) 521-6185
E-mail: alumni@uncp.edu
1940s
1960s
1970s
continued on page 15
Blackwell ’68 joins Order of the Longleaf Pine
Breeden
Blackwell ’68 has
received the Order of
the Longleaf Pine, the
state’s highest civilian
honor. Blackwell is a
Cumberland County
commissioner. He received a framed
proclamation signed by Governor
Mike Easley.
His wife, Cathy, son Ryan, and other
relatives were present when he received the
order. “It is indeed an honor, and I’m very
humbled by this,” he said.
Blackwell is a retired school principal
with 30 years’ experience in the Cumberland
County school system. Blackwell has also
served on the Fayetteville City Council,
including three terms as mayor pro-tem,
from 1992 to 1997.
AlAulmumnnii NNoottees s
Page 15 Summer 2003
State Polytechnic University in Pomona,
Calif. He wrote “Ballots and Fence
Rails: Reconstruction on the Lower
Cape Fear” and “To Die Game: The
Story of the Lowry Band, Indian
Guerrillas of Reconstruction.”
Dr. Glen Burnette ’80 was
appointed vice chancellor of the Office
for University and Community Relations
at UNCP. This is a new position at UNCP.
(See article, page 3)
Peggy Cecil Owens ’80 is
employed with the Mid-Kentucky
Presbytery as associate general pres-byter
for education and missions.
Dr. Ruth Dial Woods ’80 was
invited to speak at the 2003
Transformative Justice Conference,
sponsored by the Birmingham Civil
Rights Institute with partnership to the
Birmingham International Festival.
She shared her experience in human
rights struggles during the civil rights
movement.
Mary Ann Prevatte ’84, a teacher
at Peterson Elementary School in Red
Springs, N.C., earned the Public Schools
of Robeson County Employee of the
Month award.
Dr. Glenn Harris ’85 recently
contributed $500 to Scotland County
Concerned Citizens for the Homeless.
The gift was given through Scotland
Health Care System after Dr. Harris
won the Physician of the Year award.
Tom J. Cluchey Jr. ’87, vice
president and business services officer,
earned BB&T’s 2002 Washington, D.C.,
Metro Region Business Services
Officer Sterling Performer award and
earned recognition as one of BB&T’s
2002 Best of the Best business
services officers.
David Jenson Cummings ’87,
a former SGA vice president and Tau
Kappa Epsilon fraternity member, is
a chemist in the federal Office of
Pharmaceutical Science/Quality
Implementation Staff in the
Washington, D.C., area. On May 9,
he received the Food and Drug
Administration’s Award of Merit for
exceptional performance in the priority
review for the first of a new class of
antimalarials. On April 23, he also
received a cash award for outstanding
performance, leadership and dedication
to the mission of the Division of
Counter-Terrorism.
Patricia Harris ’87 of St. Pauls,
N.C., is a bank secrecy act compliance
team leader with BB&T.
Thomas Eddison Maynor II ’88 is
deputy director of the Washoe Tribal
Health Center. The Washoe Tribe is
located in Nevada and California. He
married April Denise Maynor on June 27,
1992. The couple lives with their children,
Thomas III “Trey,” 7, Hunter Quinn, 5,
and Adam Payton, 2, in Gardnerville,
Nev.
Rodney Cannon ’89 is facilities
manager at the national office of the
American Diabetes Association.
Santana and Sharon Davis-
Montgomery ’90 announce the birth of
their son, Santiago David Montgomery,
on April 15 in Dallas, Texas.
Jason A. Jacobs ’90, a technical
information specialist/librarian at NASA’s
Langley Research Center in Hampton,
Va., recently received two Superior
Accomplishment awards for his work in
library outreach activities. Jason earned
his master’s of library science degree
from North Carolina Central University in
1994. His parents, Samuel and Vonnie
continued on page 16
The Willie Mayes Scholarship Challenge
An anonymous donor has
offered to match up to $1,000 in
contributions to honor the legacy of
all-American wrestler Willie Mayes,
who died tragically in 1988 on the
eve of his graduation. Mayes is
described by Coach P.J. Smith as
a rare individual for his incredible
work ethic and team spirit. This
spirit still lives at UNCP!
Coach Smith hopes that
classmates, friends and members
of Phi Beta Sigma will rise to the
challenge and enhance this
endowed scholarship that has
already helped numerous
wrestling scholar-athletes.
(910) 521-6261 or pj.smith@uncp.edu
Loving ’96 promoted
to captain in Air Force
Daniel
Loving ’96 is
a captain in the
United States
Air Force
stationed at
Vandenberg Air
Force Base in
Lompoe, Calif.
He is an
academic and
emergency war
order instructor of intercontinental
ballistic missiles.
Loving is married to the
former Leslie Oxendine of Midway,
N.C., and the couple has two sons,
Samuel and Phillip.
Loving
continued from page 14
1980s
1990s
UNCP Today Page 16
Jacobs, reside in the Saddletree community
of Lumberton.
Jennifer Brayboy Locklear ’90
received her Ed.D. degree in educational
leadership from UNC-Chapel Hill in May
2003. She married Eric H. Locklear ’90
and works as a principal in Person County
Schools.
Major Torrey Mitchell ’90 is chief of
inspections with the U.S. Army Inspector
General.
Whitney VanZandt Jones ’91 and
Barry Edward Jones ’90 announce the birth
of their second child, Blair Elizabeth Jones,
on Jan. 24.
David Malcolm ’92 has been appointed
new associate pastor at Camp Ground
United Methodist Church in Fayetteville, N.C.
David earned his master’s of divinity degree
at Perkins School of Theology at Southern
Methodist University. He is married to Beth
Malcolm ’92, and the couple has three
daughters and one son.
Sharon Mundy ’92 announces the birth
of her sons, Alex Brian and Joshua Taylor.
Angie Revels ’92 is marketing repre-sentative
for Healthkeeperz, a home health
agency in Pembroke. She recently made a
presentation to the Pembroke Business and
Professional Women’s Organization about
her company’s comprehensive plan of
pharmaceutical services, respiratory care
services, home medical equipment and
home health services.
Brian Edkins ’93 was named the North
Carolina High School Athletics Association’s
Women’s Soccer Coach of the Year. In June,
he was named athletic director of Southview
High School in Hope Mills, N.C.
Felicia M. Locklear ’93 is principal of
Brooks Elementary School. She recently
attended the National Paideia Teaching
Method Conference in Chapel Hill. She is
married to Anthony Locklear ’79.
2003-2004 Calendar
AUGUST
22 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Freshman Move-In/Pizza Party
22 5:30 p.m. 1st Annual Alumni Legacy Banquet
23 10 a.m. Alumni Board Meeting, 4th Floor, Lumbee Hall
SEPTEMBER
3 10 a.m. Convocation, GPAC
4-19 Alumni Travel to Australia and New Zealand
28-Oct.1 6 to 9 p.m. Annual Alumni Phonathon
OCTOBER
2-9 Alumni Travel to New England
4 Soccer Tailgate, 1 p.m. Women; 3:30 p.m. Men
UNCP versus North Florida
5-8 6 to 9 p.m. Annual Alumni Phonathon
7-8 Grad Finale I & II
NOVEMBER
4 Career Services Resume Critique and Workshop
5 10-11:30 a.m. Senior Brunch
5 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Career Services Interview Skills
6 Career Services Job Search
DECEMBER
4-6 Alumni Travel to “The Miracle of Christmas” in
Pennsylvania’s Amish Country
12 Alumni Holiday Drop-In at Chancellor’s Residence
13 10 a.m. Commencement
13-20 Seven-Day Western Caribbean Cruise
FEBRUARY
15-21 Homecoming 2004! www.uncp.edu/alumni/homecoming
For more information, visit
www.uncp.edu/alumni
e-mail alumni@uncp.edu
call 1-800-949-UNCP (8627)
or (910) 521-6533
Office of Alumni Relations
P.O. Box 1510
Pembroke, NC 28372-1510
continued from page 15
continued on page 17
Show your UNCP Pride!
Get your
UNCP
license tag
today.
Contact:
(910) 521-6533 * alumni@uncp.edu
Page 17 Summer 2003
Newy
‘Newdawg’
Scruggs ’93
was married to
Lainie Yglesia
Dec. 28, 2002,
on the beach in
the Bahamas.
(See story,
page 19)
S. Anthony Fields ’94 and Nancy
Strickland were married Feb. 1 on the cam-pus
of the Institute of American Indian Arts
in Santa Fe, N.M. He is employed with the
institute. Nancy was previously employed
with Metrolina Native American Association
and is enrolled in a museum studies pro-gram,
seeking a bachelor’s degree. The
couple resides in Santa Fe.
Clayton Alexander ’95 and Ashley
Baker were
married June 7
at Finch Chapel
on the campus
of Greensboro
College. She is
a graduate of
the University
of Central
Florida and
works for Merck. Clayton is assistant to the
president of Greensboro College. The cou-ple
honeymooned at the Sandals Grande
St. Lucian Resort in the West Indies.
Katina Dial Pittman ’95 received
her doctorate of dental surgery degree
with honors from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry
on May 18. She and her husband, W. Brian
Pittman, reside in Chapel Hill.
Marcus Collins ’96 (M.S. ’01) is pursu-ing
his doctoral degree in higher education
administration at N.C. State University.
He is employed at UNC-Chapel Hill as
assistant dean in the Office for Student
Academic Counseling. He was program
coordinator for Upward Bound at UNCP.
Ryan Hammonds ’96 and LisaAnne
Fedor ’03 were married June 7, 2003, in
Lumberton at St. Francis De Sales Catholic
Church. The couple resides in Morrisville, N.C.
Captain Reginald J. McClam ’97 was
commissioned into the U.S. Marine Corps
as an officer. He has been in the Marine
Corps for the last six years, stationed in
California with 1st Battalion, 7th Marines.
He served as a rifle platoon commander
and a mortar platoon commander during
that time. He is assigned as a tactics,
weapons and leadership instructor. At
UNCP, he ran track and was a member
of the Nu Lota Chapter of Phi Beta
Sigma Fraternity Inc.
Ron Sharpe ’98 enjoyed the success
of his guitar students at the Colorado
Suzuki Institute. More than 500 performers
were narrowed to a field of 31 in honors
recitals. Only five were guitarists, including
three of Ron’s students. Ron teaches more
than 24 students from ages 5 to 19 in the
Fayetteville, N.C., area.
Amanda B. “Mandi” Walters ’98
received her M.S. degree in molecular
genetics from the University of Florida. She
recently accepted the position of vice presi-dent
at Metropolitan Research Associates, a
clinical research organization, in Manhattan.
Christina Locklear Revels ’99 gradu-ated
in June with her B.S. degree from the
physician’s assistant program at the East
Carolina University’s School of Allied
Health Science. At the same time, she
received her master’s of health science
degree from Duke University. Christina is
the daughter of Carla Locklear, a UNCP
employee in the Office of Business Affairs.
Christina plans to practice in the area after
completing her license requirements.
Renee Josette Lewter ’99 teaches
English at Southwest High School in
Jacksonville, Fla. She plans to wed
Daniel Merion in March 2004.
Traci Powell ’99 and Greg Williams
’90 were married April 19 in Hope Mills,
N.C. The couple lives in Laurinburg, N.C.
Greg is a football coach and history
teacher at Richmond Senior High School,
and Traci begins teaching at Sycamore
Lane Middle School in the fall. Traci was an
admissions counselor at UNCP for three
years before accepting a teaching position.
continued from page 16
Scruggs wedding
Alexander wedding
Have you seen
these missing
alumni?
Abdalla, Marie Annette ’76
Able, Elizabeth Ann ’97
Abram, Barbara J. ’82
Abreu, Patricia Phelps ’90
Adams, Anne M. ’90
Adams, Deta C.
Adams, Grady B. ’71
Adams, Karen Fournier ’80
Anderson, Tonya ’96
Andreacchio, Paul ’84
Andrews, Barbara ’82
Andrews, Donald ’97
Andrews, Kristi ’94
Andrews, Sharon W.
Anelli, Lisa Jean ’91
Angel, Ollie M. ’74
Anlberg, Walter ’71
Anthony, Ivy
Anthony, Joseph
Anthony, Sherrie Connor ’90
Armstrong, Beverly A. ’90
Armstrong, Christopher D. ’92
Armstrong, Donna R. ’77
Arnette, Charlene ’74
Arno, Russell ’96
Arnold, Deborah ’74
Arnold, Maria ’95
Arp, Nancy ’78
Arroba, Melinda ’94
Ashford, John ’86
Ashley, Carolyn C. ’84
Ashley, Richard C.
Ashlock, Lisa J. ’87
Ashton, Teresa ’84
Atkins, Debby L. ’93
Atkinson, Marjorie P. ’73
CONTACT THE
MISSING ALUMNI
BUREAU
@
Office of Alumni
Relations
(910) 521-6533
alumni@uncp.edu continued on page 18
PHONATHON
September 28 - October 1
October 5-8
Alumni and student callers are
needed throughout the eight nights.
Office of Alumni Relations
(910) 521-6533
Natasha Jacobs ’00 graduated in
June with her B.S. degree from the
physician’s assistant program at East
Carolina University’s School of Allied
Health Science. At the same time, she
received her master’s of health science
degree from Duke University. She is
completing her clinical rotations and
plans to practice in the area.
Wendy Leigh Jernigan ’00 and
Daniel Franklin Fields were married at
Hyde Park Baptist Church on May 31.
She works for the Public Schools of
Robeson County. He works for Jerry
Johnson Chevrolet.
Randall Channing Jones ’00,
a student in
UNC Chapel
Hill’s marine
science pro-gram,
was the
recipient of
the J. Ernest
Wilkins Jr.
Award for Oral
Research
Competition
for Life
Sciences. He is the son of Diane Jones
’71, vice chancellor of Student Affairs,
and fiancé of Emily Love ’00, an
employee with UNCP’s University
Computing and Information Systems.
Jennifer McLean ’00 received her
master’s of arts degree in community
counseling from Appalachian State
University. She married Jeremy A.
McLean ’01 on Aug. 5, 2000. Jennifer
now works at UNCP in the Office of
Student Support Services as tutorial
coordinator.
Tamra Moore ’00 works with the
North Carolina Department of Public
Instruction as southeast regional
computer consultant.
Rikki Cockrell ’01 has been
named sports information director at
UNCP. She was a standout performer
on UNCP’s basketball and softball
teams.
Lorna McNeill ’01 and Dr.
Patrick Ricotta were married June 14
in Fayetteville, N.C. She is director
of Alumni Relations at UNCP. He is
a practicing physician and surgeon
at the Foot and Ankle Institute, with
offices in Lumberton and Laurinburg,
N.C. The couple will live in Fayetteville,
N.C.
Sherry Parnell ’01 and husband
Ivey Parnell announce the Oct. 11, 2002
birth of Abigail Grace. The family resides
in St. Pauls, N.C.
Raegen A. Cecil ’02 has joined
Smith Moore LLP as a health care law
librarian.
Shandora Lynn Locklear ’02 and
Kelly Dean Chavis ’98 were married
April 26 at the Saddletree Church of God.
She is employed by the Public Schools of
Robeson County. He works for Unilever,
HPC-NA.
Laura Smith ’02 of Murrells Inlet,
S.C., has been promoted to business
banker with BB&T.
Lisa Anne Fedor ’03 and Ryan
Hammonds ’96 were married June 7
in Lumberton, at St. Francis De Sales
Catholic Church. The couple resides in
Morrisville, N.C.
Katie Marsh ’03 was named
assistant women’s basketball coach
at the College of William and Mary.
Marsh begins her first season as a
collegiate coach after a stellar career
at UNCP, where she finished with 930
points and close to 400 assists while
setting single-season school records
in three-point field goal percentage
(40.2 percent) and free-throw percentage
(89.4 percent) while serving as team
captain. A native of Richmond, Va.,
Marsh was a member of Psi Chi and
graduated cum laude in May 2003.
Jessica Reed ’03 has accepted
a teaching position at Codington
Elementary Year Round School and
moved to Wilmington, N.C., in June.
Jessica Smith Rogers ’03 was
recently named director of education for
Sylvan Learning Center in Whiteville,
N.C.
Lock B. Locklear ’48 died April 11,
2003 at his home in Levittown, Pa. After
receiving his degree from Pembroke, he
received his master’s in education
degree from Temple University. He was
a retired public school teacher.
Dennis Dean Lowery ’64 died May
17, 2003. He served on UNCP’s Board of
Trustees and was awarded an honorary
doctorate in laws in 1995.
Kenneth C. Lennon ’78 died May
25, 2003 at Columbus County Hospital.
Bruce Alvin Proctor ’80 died at
St. Eugene Medical Center in South
Carolina.
Jason Wayne Hunt, a rising junior
at UNCP, died at Southeastern Regional
Medical Center. He was a member of the
Phi Sigma Nu fraternity.
UNCP Today Page 18
Alumni Travel Planning Calendar
Welcome alumni, friends and families. Join the UNCP Alumni Travel Program for an
exciting tour to the following destinations.
Current Travel
• Alaska • Hawaii
• Australian Wonders and the New Zealand Islands
• “Miracle of Christmas” and Amish Country Tour
• New England and Vermont in the Fall
• Atlanta Braves Baseball/Stone Mountain Laser Show
• Norwegian Majesty — New Tour!
For more information
(910) 521-6533
alumni@uncp.edu
www.uncp.edu/alumni
continued from page 17
In Memory
Channing & Emily
8
2000s
Page 19 Summer 2003
‘Newdawg’s’
broadcasting
career is
raising the roof
Newy Scruggs ’93 has been known as
“the Newdawg” since his Omega Psi Phi days
at UNCP.
Since anchoring the sports desk at WPSU-TV,
Newdawg’s star has been on the rise in
television, radio and newspaper.
His latest stop is the Dallas-Fort Worth
market, where he is weeknight sports anchor at
top-rated KXAS (NBC,
www.nbc5i.com).
Newdawg also
co-hosts “The Big
Show” on ESPN
103.3 FM weekdays.
(www.espn1033.com).
A one-man media
empire, you can read
his column in DFW Sports Weekly
(www.dfwsw.com).
The sportscasting career of the Newdawg
began in September 1992 in Florence, S.C.
While in his senior year at UNC Pembroke,
Newdawg was a Friday night high school
football photographer for WBTW-TV13 and
then became the weekend sports anchor.
In 1993, Scruggs went to work at KVUE-TV
in Austin, Texas, to cover the Dallas
Cowboys during their Super Bowl years.
In 1994, it was off to Cleveland’s WEWS-TV
as a weekend sports anchor. In 1997,
Newdawg launched his Sunday night sports
show on KCOP TV, where he was sports
director.
He was the 1998 and 1999 Associated
Press Best Sportscast Award winner and, at
KCOP, he won the Best Newscast Award.
During a recent campus visit, Scruggs
talked about the endowed scholarship in
sports broadcasting he has
established.
“It was great here,” he said
of the opportunities available
to him at UNCP. “It (the
scholarship) is about taking
pride in your school and
giving back.
“They started Action News
here my sophomore year, and
when they did basketball
games, I got to be part of the
three-man crew,” he added.
Scruggs described
internships in Wilmington
and Florence and meeting his
mentor, Tom Suiter, the dean
of sports broadcasting in the Carolinas.
“It was fun,” he said. Apparently, it’s still
fun for the Newdawg as his star continues to
rise.
Despite the big market exposure, Scruggs
has great feelings about his college days, and
he is fondly remembered at UNCP.
“Newy had a tremendous passion for
sports and wanted to be a part of it,” said
Athletic Director Dan Kenney. “I remember
him coming up to me as basketball coach to
ask if he could do anything.
“He was a fixture with the broadcast pro-gram,
and I would not be surprised to see him
on ESPN some day soon,” he added.
Scruggs was also a fixture with the
players, said Student Activities Director
Abdul Ghaffar, who was a senior co-captain
during Scruggs’ freshman year.
“He was Mr. Fan,” he said. “He was like
a teammate, and everybody loved him.”
He was also the guy who knew every-body’s
stats on the team and in the league,
Ghaffar said.
“He loves his sports and brings incredible
energy to it,” he said. “I am so proud of his
successes.”
The Newdawg is an Army kid who
hooked up with UNCP via Fort Bragg. Send
Newy e-mail at Newy.Scruggs@nbc.com,
or visit his personal Web site:
www.newdawg.com/index.asp.
AlAulmumnnii PPrroofiflielses
Newy Scruggs ’93
“It’s about
taking pride in
your school.”
1st Annual
Alumni Legacy
August 22, 2003
Our first annual legacy pays tribute to
new students and their families that are
making UNCP a family tradition.
Inductees will enjoy a banquet, including a
pinning ceremony, to continue the legacy
of choosing us as a family tradition.
To learn more about this
dynamic program
1-800-949-UNCP
(910) 521-6533
alumni@uncp.edu
www.uncp.edu/alumni
UNCP Today Page 20
Koji Sado: From dropout to SGA president
by Sheri Sides
Four years ago, Koji Sado had a tough
time getting accepted to college.
“I made the mistake of dropping
out of school,” Sado said. “I got my GED
later, but I think when colleges saw that,
they considered it a weakness.”
Sado shows no sign of weakness now.
He served two years in the Student
Government Association.
Sado was an officer for the
International Business Club and the
Campus Activity Board and a resident
adviser in the dorms.
He did all this while maintaining
a 3.7 GPA, earning him the Outstand-ing
Undergraduate Business Student
Award.
“After dropping out of school, I got a
job in marketing and sales in Malaysia,
and people were impressed with my work,”
Sado said. “When they asked what college
I graduated from, I told them I had a GED,
and suddenly they weren’t interested any-more.
That’s when I made it a priority to
go to college.”
Although other colleges were skeptical
of his GED, Sado was accepted to UNC
Pembroke.
Abdul Ghaffar, director of Student
Activities at UNCP, praised Sado.
“Koji is one of the most dedicated
students I have ever worked with,”
Ghaffar said. “Koji is incredibly
organized, intelligent and wise
beyond his years.”
Sado said attending UNCP
has been a maturing experience,
and it took a little help from his
friends.
“The faculty here is great. They
really care about you,” he said.
“Whenever I had problems, they
were there to help me.”
The new graduate has some
advice for new college students.
“A big aspect of going to college
is meeting new people. This is easy
at UNC Pembroke, and I treasure
that because the friends I have now
are lifelong friends,” Sado said.
“You can redo your life. If you’re
focused and believe in yourself,
anything is possible,” he added.
Early in his career, Nick Arena tried
to earn his master’s in business administration
(MBA) degree. Twice, he was unable to
continue due to busy work and family
schedules.
When he decided to finish his MBA at
UNCP, he was concerned that, being in his
50s, it might be too late.
“It was a personal thing for me,” he
said. “I tried in the ’80s, but I was just too
busy.
“I went into the program wondering if
I could compete with the younger students,”
he added. “I am not that good with computers,
so that was an issue.”
Arena, who is general manager of Acme
Electric’s Lumberton plant, was named
Outstanding MBA Student.
Early on, he decided that age and
experience are his best assets.
“As a general manager, I am involved
in every area of the business,” he said.
“There was
something
I took out
of every
class and
was able to
put it into
action
immediately.”
He also took three courses via the
Internet.
The only thing that suffered was his golf
game, the Pinehurst resident said.
“I had a lot of support from my family,”
Arena said. “I work pretty long hours, so I
studied on Saturdays. Sitting on my deck with
a laptop, it was tough watching the golfers.”
Arena said he recommends the program
to his managers at Acme. A Philadelphia
native and Villanova graduate, he spent a
career rising through the management ranks
at several Fortune 500 companies.
“The education you get here would
compete with the big-name schools,” he
said. “I had some of the best professors
I have ever had.”
Acme Electric, which manufactures
electric power conditioning devices, employs
approximately 200 today and is owned by
Key Components Inc., headquartered in
Tarrytown, N.Y.
For MBA information, call (910) 521-
6637 or visit www.uncp.edu/business/mba.
Nick Arena ’03
New Alumni
Koji Sado ’03
NICK ARENA:
‘It’s never too late’
shop at www.unPacgep 21.edu/bookstore Summer 2003
Shop at
Braided round pendant with barrel
#7403 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$29.95
(chain sold separately)
Rounded braided cuff bangle
bracelet
#7608 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$36.95
Braided round pierced earrings
#7402 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$21.95
Small beaded black and yellow
bracelet with 7" chain
#7405 . . . . . . . . . . .$27.95
Round shiny earrings with domed
surface on posts
#7591 . . . . . . . . . . .$16.95
Domed square earrings on posts
#7588 . . . . . . . . . .$16.95
Oval bangle bracelet with heavy twist
band * 7" silver gold
#7583 . . . . . . . . . .$41.95
Square braided
7" bangle
#7609 . . . . . . . . . .$31.95
Support the
Braves and
wear the latest
designs in
beautiful
sterling silver
jewelry
and other
selections
now available
at the
Bookstore.
(910) 521-6222 • 1-800-949-UNCP
bookstore@uncp.edu
Visa and MasterCard accepted
the UNCP Bookstore